Rape Victim Dies By Suicide After Alleged Abuser Was Released From Jail

KEY POINTS

A rape victim, 16, committed suicide after her alleged abuser was released on bail
She became depressed following the rapist's release, police said
A complaint was filed and the teen's body was sent for post-mortem

A 16-year-old girl in the Indian state of Maharashtra committed suicide after the man accused of raping her was recently released on bail, police said Wednesday.

The girl hanged herself from the ceiling of the Nagpur city home she shared with her father, stepmother and brother, newspaper The Times of India reported, citing senior inspector Nitin Phatangare of the Jaripatka police station.

She was raped by one of her stepmother's relatives in June, police said.

A complaint was lodged following the incident and the alleged rapist, who was unnamed, was arrested and charged with rape.

The girl became depressed ever since her rapist was released on bail from the central jail, Phatangare said.

A case of accidental death has been registered following the suicide and the teen's body was sent for post-mortem, according to the police inspector.

The victim's identity was not revealed to protect her privacy in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives on cases related to sexual assault.

A similar incident occurred in the state of Rajasthan last June when an accused rapist who was out on bail allegedly killed the woman he had previously victimized

The man, identified as Netram, was arrested on June 14 after he fatally stabbed the unnamed woman at her house in Nagani, Sirohi two days before, Additional Director General of Police Ravi Prakash Meharda said. He was arrested in November after he allegedly raped the victim and a case was lodged against him.

Netram, who was out on bail since April, constantly threatened the victim to withdraw the rape complaint against him prior to the killing, police said.

The victim — Netram's widowed neighbor — reportedly did not respond to him.

Netram allegedly barged into the woman's house on June 12 and stabbed her to death while she was sleeping.

He was also accused of injuring the woman's younger sister, who was present in the house during the attack and tried to save her older sister.

Netram managed to escape from the scene despite an alarm being raised, but police were able to arrest him later.