[ Karyir Riba ]
ROING, 12 May: A five-year-old child was allegedly sexually assaulted at Gadum village under Paglam circle of Lower Dibang Valley district on Saturday last.
As per police sources, a written complaint was received at the Dambuk police station by the father of the minor on Wednesday, informing about the molestation.
According to police reports, the 39-year-old alleged accused from Banggo village is a close acquaintance of the victim’s parents as they are associated with the same church of Banggo village.
On the day of the incident, the accused had come to the house of the complainant at around 2 or 3 PM to bring over a sweater for the victim, which was reportedly sent by their evangelist. When the parents of the little girl were in the kitchen, the accused sexually assaulted the child.
The mother of the minor saw the sexual molestation and immediately reported the matter to her husband.
As soon as the complaint was made, OC PS Dambuk Gemo Jini and team sprang into action and arrested the alleged accused, with assistance from the I/C police outpost, Paglam.
A case under section 376(3) IPC R/W Sec 4of POCSO Act has been registered against the accused and investigation is underway.
The child has been reportedly referred to the district hospital in Roing for her medical tests because of the unavailability of a female medical expert in the Dambuk CHC.
As per the police, the complainant, the victim, and other witnesses were examined maintaining all legal formalities during the investigation.
Reportedly, the child has been sent to the One Stop Center (OSC) here, run by the Nani Maria Society. Since the child is very young, her mother will also remain at the OSC with her.
The OSC is a dedicated centre for integrated support and assistance to women, including girls under the age of 18, affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof. It facilitates immediate emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services, including medical, legal, psychological and counselling support under one roof, all free-of-cost.
