Stepfather Allegedly Rapes Minor Girl After Luring Her With Cold Drink; Accused Absconding

A minor girl in India was allegedly raped by her stepfather after he lured her with the promise of buying her a cold drink.

The incident took place in the state of Jharkhand. The minor, who was staying with her grandmother for two months, was taken out Sunday by the suspect under the pretext of buying her a cold drink, reported India Today. After getting her inside the car, the accused started driving toward another location. When the girl protested, the man informed her he had some work there and would buy her a cold drink afterward.

The accused then took the girl to Dasham Falls, a location in the outskirts of the city of Ranchi, and raped her. Before dropping her home, he allegedly threatened the girl with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident.

However, the girl informed her grandmother about the incident. Together with the family, the girl lodged a complaint with the police and gave a detailed account of the ordeal. The girl also underwent a medical examination, media outlet Hindustan reported [Google Translation showed]. The current condition of the girl, and her age were not revealed.

On Monday, the police said the accused fled his village after being named in the crime. They are now looking for the suspect and have created a team to apprehend him.

Earlier this month, an 18-year-old took a 10-year-old girl, who was playing outside her home, to a school, and gang-raped her, along with five minors. The assault was reportedly filmed, and the incident came to light after the parents found the video being circulated on social media.

According to a 2018 report by child rights NGO CRY, every 15 minutes, a sexual offense is committed against a child in India, reported Outlook. The number increased by 300% over the past five years. Rape is reportedly the second-largest crime committed against children in India.

Given the rise in sexual assault crime against children, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill was amended in 2019 to increase prison sentences from 10 to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment or death for assaulting children below 16 years. According to India Today, the Act aims to protect children from offenses such as sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography.