Parents of rape victim seek justice
LAHORE: The grief-stricken parents of a nine-year-old girl allegedly raped by a landlord a month earlier are still seeking justice.
A month after the rape, the victim is still in shock. She hardly speaks and looks no one in the eye. Born into an impoverished family and living in a dingy house in Kahna, Abida, number four among her four sisters and five brothers, was alone at the home on August 3 when life took a horrifying turn for her. Her neighbour, Ameen, entered her house by scaling over the wall and raped her until she lost consciousness.
Ameen came at a time when Abida was alone at the home as her mother had gone to a bazaar and her brothers and sisters were playing outside. When Zahida Bibi, Abida’s mother, returned from the bazaar, she found her daughter lying in a pool of blood. She lost consciousness when she saw her daughter. Meanwhile, Salma, the accused’s wife, arrived and took Abida away. Later, Zahida went to her neighbours’ homes but could not find her daughter. Almost nine hours later, the distressed parents found Abida lying unconscious in a hospital – bruised and bleeding. They also found Salma sitting beside Abida.
Abida’s medical file showed that Salma had succeeded in fooling the hospital staff as she did an extremely convincing impersonation of the victim’s mother. Interestingly, the initial document prepared at the Patient and Emergency Department, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, on August 3 at 3.40 pm had not been verified by the hospital administration and had been called fake. Dr Naheed examined the girl on August 6 and determined she had been raped. Ironically, Abida was not well but she was discharged on August 8. Some local people, however, managed to get the victim readmitted to the same hospital on August 9. Later, she was discharged on August 20.
The crime committed by a father of no less than six children could not move the Kahna SHO and the investigation officer who played a disgusting role on their part. The police did not accommodate the application tendered by Umar Din, the victim’s father.
Kahna police detained Salma and Arshad the same day to locate the main culprit, Ameen, who fled under cover of darkness. Police arrested him on August 5. Police sent Ameen to Kot Lakhpat Jail on judicial remand the very next day.
When contacted the investigating officer Rana Arshad confirmed that the accused Ameen had raped the girl and added that his wife Salma and brother Arshad were not involved in the crime. He said the challan that is to be submitted to court has been completed. However, the parents of the victim are still seeking justice.
Source: The News
Date:9/2/2007
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