7-Year-Old Allegedly Raped By Grandfather, Uncle And Teenage Cousin; Accused Arrested

A 7-year-old girl in India was allegedly raped by her 62-year-old grandfather, her uncle and teenage cousin. The three accused were arrested Wednesday after the child's mother filed a police complaint.

The incident took place in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The girl, who lived with her mother, came to her grandfather's house after he visited them last week and urged the mother to send the child with him for a few days, and added he would take care of her, DT Next reported.

On Aug. 2, the grandfather raped the girl when she was sleeping in his house. The girl tried to seek help from his 42-year-old son, who was also staying with him, but he also sexually assaulted her. Her 17-year-old cousin then assaulted her, The Hindu reported.

On Sunday, when the girl’s mother visited the grandfather's house, she found her daughter in a poor health condition. The mother told the police that the minor was unable to walk. She rushed the child to a hospital, where the girl narrated her ordeal. The mother immediately filed a complaint at an all-women police station.

The girl was sent to the Egmore children’s hospital for further medical examination. Doctors at the hospital confirmed the child had been raped by more than one person. The girl's current condition was not known.

A case was booked under 376AB (punishment for rape on woman under 12 years of age) of the Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the police said.

The grandfather and the uncle were in custody, while the teenager was sent to a court for further procedure as he is a minor.

Rape cases in India have seen a spike in recent years and the numbers have doubled in the last 17 years, according to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau in December 2019. The report also stated the accused were known to the victims in 93.1 percent of cases reported in India in 2017.

In April, a 6-year-old girl was gangraped by her grandfather and uncle in front of her toddler brother. The incident took place in the state of Madhya Pradesh and came to light when the victim disclosed it to her mother.