Child Abuse - Child Raped By Her Father

by Agnes K
(India)

I am from a women organization and also helping child rights. I had recently come to learn that a child was being raped by her father and the mother did not inform anyone. It was only by chance that a neighbour who was trying to dress the little girl (4 and half years of age then) saw her breast swollen. she then informed the mother who kept quite. Then she checked the private prts of the little girl and found it had swelled a lot and red with blood.The neighbour (a lady) even gave money to the mother to take her child for check up with a doctor. The mother went and we are now trying to get to meet the doctor who is a private practitioner. The prescription has been torn by the father.

The neighbour then asked the little girl what happened and she said her father did it.That was in front of two ladies who are willing to give witness they had seen the bruises. After a couple of months the girl was raped by an elderly neighbour and the mother came to us to inform and a rape case was registered against him and the child had stitches too. now that time I did not know that the father had also previously raped the child. So now since I knew filed an FIR (First Information Report) against him but he got bail and the wife was helping him. I filed the FIR because I first spoke to the child and asked her what did her father do and she just pointed to her private parts. I knew this little girl told the truth so that angered me and I filed the FIR. But now since the mother was helping the husband he got bail within 5 days. Now he has even shifted his place of residence. I don't know how I can strengthen the case so that I can help the little girl. The neighbours who had seen the girls plight and bruises have given their statements and are backing me up.

Agnes K