Household finances were under a strain after mother's heart surgery; victim kept quiet about the rape as she did not wish to add to the tension.
Her family’s poor financial condition, worsened by her mother’s recent bypass surgery, forced the 16-year-old victim of gang rape to hide the crime committed against her for about a month. She was afraid that the knowledge of the rape would add to the tension within the family.
The Dadar police on Friday arrested four students and a taxi driver for allegedly raping the victim, a student of Std X, on repeated occasions over the past one month. The victim is a resident of a chawl in Worli Koliwada, as are the perpetrators of the crime. One of the accused first called her to his residence to teach him how to prepare dal and rice and raped her.
Speaking with DNA, the victim’s mother revealed that her daughter is under severe trauma. “She refuses to talk to anyone and has not eaten for a long time,” the mother said. “She has constant stomachaches and headaches. Even though she is on medication, her health is deteriorating and she has gone into depression.”
The victim’s mother added that they have not been able to take her to a psychiatrist to treat her trauma, as they are not in a position to afford the treatment. The victim’s father works as a peon, while the mother had to quit work because of the bypass surgery she underwent.
The victim’s neighbours said that the girl used to return home from her tuition classes at around 10pm. One neighbour also said that the incident may affect the futures of the victim’s younger siblings — a brother studying in Std VII and a sister in Std IX.
One of the neighbours expressed her fear that the victim’s professional life may take a beating in the wake of the incident. “She does not leave her home anymore,” said one of the neighbours.
Requesting anonymity, another person staying in the locality added that the victim’s mother is under depression as her daughter’s reputation has been tainted.
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