Child ‘raped’ while visiting elder sister’s home, still unconscious after 24 hours

An eight-year-old child has allegedly been raped while visiting her elder sister’s home in Magura city. The child, still unconscious, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital Thursday evening.

The police have arrested the victim child’s brother-in-law and his father in this incident.

A cousin brother of the child told Prothom Alo in the afternoon today, Friday that the child was brought unconscious to Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday evening.

She’s still unconscious. She has been kept at pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) there. Physicians have said that she will be put on life support if her condition worsens even further.

According to sources from the police and the child’s family, the child was taken to Magura 250-bed hospital in an unconscious stated around 11:00 am on Thursday. From there she was sent to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for better treatment by the afternoon. Then she was referred to Dhaka Medical College.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Magura Sadar police station Ayub Ali told Prothom Alo this morning, “It could not be confirmed, what has happened to the child. The child was unconscious. It is being assumed that the incident occurred in the house she was visiting. Based on accusations from the child’s family, the brother-in-law and his father have been taken in custody for questioning. And, the matter is under investigation.”  

Speaking to members of the child’s family it has been learnt that their house is in Sreepur upazila of Magura. The child came to visit her elder sister’s (in-laws) house a few days back. Her sister’s mother-in-law brought the child in an unconscious state to Magura 250-bed hospital around 11:00 am on Thursday. Later, the child’s mother arrived at the hospital.

Physicians at that hospital said that an emergency examination showed that the child had a mark on her neck. It seems she was pinned down with something. There are scratches on several parts of her body. She bled from her vaginal tract.

Meanwhile, many people have posted about the incident on Facebook. A protest march was brought out in Magura town Thursday evening demanding the arrest and trial of those involved.