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Mumbai child sexual assault case: Help pours in for 8-year-old rape survivor

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After a month-long delay to provide respite to the 8-year-old victim of rape, the state has finally woken up to the horror that the girl faced on October 24 at the hands of an unknown accused. dna reported the plight of the girl on November 21 and her collective ill treatment at the hands of the state government, the police and BMC-run Sion Hospital.

After suffering for nearly a month in the general ward, where she developed skin infection due to administration of multiple antibiotics including the anti-HIV prophylaxis regime pills, the victim was shifted to a private room on Saturday.

A vision of providing a one-stop rape crisis centre is a far cry, when doctors in BMC-run hospitals cannot provide basic facilities that ensure her privacy. After the infamous gang rape that occurred in Delhi two years ago, BMC had passed provisions that the identity of a rape victim cannot be disclosed and that she should be admitted to a private ward. More so all the medical expenses of the victim have to be borne by the hospital. “In a gross violation, the victim was kept in a general ward in full view of other patients. The parents of the victim had to spend over Rs6000 for DNA tests at a private lab as the facility was not available in Sion Hospital and they were asked by the doctors to get the tests conducted from outside. Also, ward boys and nurses were seen spreading the news that she is a victim of rape. There was absolute lack of sensitivity in handling the case,” said Vijay Kharat, officer, Childline.

The nature of the girl's injury is so brutal that the displaced uterus during the assault had entered her stomach. “A corrective surgery was performed the day she was brought in. Also a route was created for her to pass stool through the stomach as the anus was badly damaged,” said Dr Nivedita Moulick, dean-in-charge, Sion Hospital.
While the girl's parents who were unhappy by the treatment meted out at Sion Hospital were keen to shift her to a private hospital, the doctors requested them to stay back ensuring that there will be no further loopholes. “The doctors, police and the government have only taken notice of my girl's painful state after the media highlighted the issue. Until then every single person either taunted us or turned a blind eye to our condition,” said the victim's father.

Meanwhile, Saturday saw a stream of political bigwigs visiting the hospital to offer help to the victim. State women and child welfare minister Vidya Thakur, mayor of Mumbai Snehal Ambekar, BMC standing committee chairman Yashodhar Phanse, member of parliament Eknath Shinde and RPI president Ramdas Athawale visited the victim and collectively offered financial help of Rs75,000.

The Mumbai Police had not sent the copy of the FIR complaint to the state's women and child welfare department since nearly a month. It is mandatory to send the FIR copy, so that the state can met out a compensation between Rs2-3 lakh to the victim. The compensation should be received under the Manodhairya Yojana within a week. “There has been much delay. But we have sent the papers of compensation to the collector's office and the compensation will be provided as soon as possible,” said RD Shinde, additional commissioner (central), Mumbai Police.

In the bodily evidence collected by the police from the girl that includes vaginal swabs, the officials said they were unable to retrieve semen samples of the accused. “We have not been able to retrieve the semen samples of the accused which makes it impossible for us to obtain a match with the suspects,” said Shinde.

140 suspects were questioned by the police in Wadala area where the crime had occurred. “We have held back two suspects for questioning. The movements of these suspects was highly suspicious,” Shinde added.

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