Bengaluru: A heinous rape case came to light recently, when a 16-year-old gang-rape survivor from Odisha gave birth to a baby girl while mopping the floor at her employer’s residence in Bengaluru.
According to media reports, the minor, who was sitting on her heels while mopping the floor, unknowingly delivered a baby on the floor. Immediately, she and her newborn were rushed to a nearby government hospital where they were taken care of. After being stabilized, the survivor disclosed about the horrific gang rape attempted on her at her hometown in Odisha, in the early 2019.
The District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) was informed about the case. The CWC sent the minor along with her newborn to an NGO where they united her with her parents. The girl refused to hand over her baby for adoption and returned to Odisha with her parents in 2020.
A police case has been registered under the Protection of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The employers, who had hired the minor, have been booked for violation of Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, according to Anjali Ramanna, chairperson of CWC.
The girl, who hails from Odisha, was working as a domestic help in Bengaluru along with her cousins. When her employers noticed that she was gaining weight and enquired about it, the girl snubbed them saying that she was eating well and thus, was becoming plum.
Speaking about the case, city-based gynecologist Sripada Vinekar said, “For many girls, soon after puberty, the menstrual cycle is not regular. The girl hid details about the rape. She was either ignorant about being pregnant or didn’t reveal that. She must have experienced pain while delivering the baby.”
