18-Year-Old, Minor Boys Allegedly Gang Rape 10-Year-Old Girl, Circulate Assault Video

Eight minors and an 18-year-old man were taken into custody Wednesday in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 10-year-old girl.

The parents of the victim filed a complaint Tuesday stating that the incident took place on May 24 when she was playing outside her home. The accused took the girl to a nearby school where they raped her. The parents, however, came to know about the incident only when the video of the assault that was being circulated on social media reached them. The incident took place in the northern Indian state of Haryana.

"The boys took the girl to the government school near her house. They raped her and recorded the incident. They threatened the girl with dire consequences if she told anybody about the assault. After circulating the video, they started blackmailing the victim," a police officer said, local daily Hindustan Times reported.

"The girl did not narrate the incident at home but when the video reached her father, he lodged a complaint on Tuesday and we immediately registered an FIR," the officer added, Republic World reported.

All the accused were taken into custody Wednesday. Police said 5 minors and the 18-year-old were arrested for allegedly assaulting the girl, 3 others were arrested for recording the incident.

While the minors were sent to an observation home, the 18-year-old was sent to judicial custody after he appeared in a local court.

Police said five of the accused minors are aged between 10 and 12. During interrogation, the minors told the officers they raped the victim after watching porn. The minors were instigated by the 18-year-old, Hindustan Times reported, citing the boys.

"The victim and the accused minors will be counseled," the officer told Hindustan Times, adding that the accused were booked under Section 376DB (gang rape on woman under 12 years) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"It was a horrific incident. The victim did not confide in her parents until a month and a half after the incident. We will provide a support person to look after the girl. As all the accused were known to the girl, I have sought a status report of her neighborhood. If needed, we will shift the girl to a children’s home," condemning the incident, Haryana state commission for protection of child rights (HSCPCR) chairperson Jyoti Bainda told the publication.