Minor Girl - a Mother!!!

Date 12^th March-2014

A happy care-free girl child girl lived with her parents who do farming. The father is hearing-impaired. Due to financial constraints she studied only till 7^th Std. and then had to quit school when she was barely 13 years old.

At this vulnerable stage she came into contact with a 26 year old man. He threatened and cajoled her into a forcible sexual relationship and subsequently blackmailed her for further sex. She soon became pregnant never realizing the serious predicament till her mother noticed the seven month pregnancy in the 14 year old daughter. The mother finally persuaded the poor girl to narrate the entire sordid story of sexual abuse.

The shocked mother visited the boy’s home and tried to reason with them suggesting that marriage with the pregnant girl was the only solution. The mother & son asked for more time to sort out things. The boy then took away the girl to get the pregnancy aborted. However, the doctor declined in view of the advance stage of the pregnancy. Eventually during this harrowing ordeal, the girl delivered the baby at home. And the baby girl became one year old. However the father’s delaying tactics did not cease. Eventually the abused minor girl was left holding a one year old baby daughter. The uncaring man finally refused marriage point-blank.

The frustrated girl finally sought police intervention. However the police recommended that the victimized girl and the boy ought to compromise since they both belong to the same caste, and refused to register a formal complaint.

The parents of the girl finally approached “SPARK “for help. Spark is the group who work on social issues. They follow-up with the local police for 3 days without any progress. SPARK representatives finally contacted Child Line for help on 12^th March, 2014. Snehalaya’s ChildLine team (Hanif Shaikh, Sunil Mohite, Kalyani Garud, Shahid Shaikh, Ajay Wable) went to Akole and met the SPARK group and counseled the victim. They then met the local Police Inspector Mr. Khandre, who requested more time saying that he is new on the job and would have to study the case. Sunil Mohite finally called the Deputy Superintendent of Police Ms. Thakur and requested her personal intervention to initiate quick action on this matter. Mr. Khandre was in turn instructed to file the case based on the girl’s statement. And the cruel child molester was arrested under IPC 376 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act- 2012’s Sec. 3 and 5. The girl was provided shelter in the Snehalaya’s Snehankur project.