JABALPUR/BHOPAL: Three sexual assault survivors – all of them minors – have died by suicide in Madhya Pradesh in a 24-hour period even as a five-year-old girl continues to fight for her life after being brutalised by a juvenile.
In Jabalpur, a 14-year-old took poison after the brother of her alleged rapist – who is twice her age – barged into her house and created a ruckus, accusing her of entrapping him.
According to additional SP Suryakant Sharma, the minor attempted suicide on Jan 2 and died in hospital on Friday. After the medical report confirmed sexual assault, police registered a case. On the basis of DNA report, a case has been filed against both brothers under Pocso Act and BNS for rape and abetment to suicide. The accused have been arrested and remanded in jail.
Harassment led to suicide: Kin
In a village in Sidhi district, a 16-year-old girl took poison on Feb 21 and died during treatment in Rewa on Thursday night. Her family has handed police a suicide note in which she alleges that a local youth molested her, leading to her suicide. She was in class 11. She has undergone surgeries on her intestines and private parts, and remains critical.
Police registered a case of unnatural death and are looking for the accused. “We had rushed her to hospital on Feb 21 and then shifted her to Sanjay Gandhi Medical College in Rewa on medical advice. She died on Thursday, and on Friday, her family alleged that she took the extreme step after molestation. They have produced a suicide note,” Churhat police station in charge, Athar Singh, told TOI. He added, “These facts were not known earlier. We are recording the family’s statements and will have the handwriting on the suicide note matched by experts,” Singh added.
In Shivpuri district, a 17-year-old Class 12 student died by suicide on Friday, allegedly because she was being harassed by two men. She and her younger brother, who is in class 6, lived in a rented room in a small town to study. She returned to her village a couple of days ago and was found hanging on Thursday.
Her brother told his parents that two youths, who rented rooms in the same building, had been harassing her. Her uncle alleges that there were injury marks on her back and said she was driven to suicide due to harassment. The family revealed that she had attempted suicide on Feb 20 as well, but recovered in a Gwalior hospital and was discharged on Feb 21. Less than a week later, she was dead. Another child from Shivpuri is battling for life in a Gwalior hospital after being raped, bludgeoned and brutalised by a 17.5-year-old neighbour.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect their privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
