Delhi: 4-year-old ‘sexually assaulted’ by classmate, police file rape case

A four-and-a-half-year-old girl studying in a private school was allegedly sexually assaulted by her classmate on the school premises in Dwarka, police said on Wednesday. A case has been registered under sections of rape and the POCSO Act, police said, adding that they have started their investigation. The family of the girl has also alleged negligence on part of the school when they approached them. DCP (Southwest) Shibesh Singh told The Indian Express that an investigation has been taken up and action will be taken as per law. According to police, the girl’s mother approached them on Sunday after approaching the Delhi Commission for Women. In her complaint, she told police that the incident took place on Friday during school hours. Police said the girl, after returning home, complained of pain in her private parts. While her mother initially did not pay much attention to it, the girl on Saturday narrated the incident to her parents when the pain increased, police said. “On Saturday night, I sent a message to her teacher about the incident. In the morning, I asked her and the school coordinator. They furnished ignorance, and (tried) to dilly-dally… I was told to send a written complaint on Monday morning and meet the parents (of the boy), the principal and the teachers (sic),” said mother, in her complaint. The mother said that she then took her child to a south Delhi hospital, where doctors confirmed the assault. In the complaint, the mother also said, “I spoke to the principal as she had not bothered to answer my call or respond to my mail. She, instead, passed on the number of the school councillor. I asked to meet, she first said she will do so on Monday. I told her tersely, if it had happened with her daughter, what would she have done. She then agreed to meet.” A police officer said they are probing if the school has been negligent. The FIR also said that “the principal refused to share details of the child (accused) with the girl’s parents”. Meanwhile, the school principal did not respond to repeated calls and messages from The Indian Express. Source: Indian Express