As if Kalyug had a dearth of monsters and villains that we now need fathers to do the needful.
In what can only be described as the most horrific crime, a Gurgaon-based father allegedly raped his 12-year-old daughter for 7 years!
The incident came to light when the victim attended a class about 'good touch, bad touch.' She then revealed her ordeal to her close friend who inturn reported the matter to the school principal.
Man had been raping his daughter since she was 5
Unfortunately, while the principal counselled the girl, the issue was not taken up with the authorities.
So Pratibha Deepak Maheshwari, who runs the NGO Asmita in Haryana decided to help the victim file a case against her abusive father.
"I was shocked to know that a man had been raping his daughter since she was five-years-old. This is a heinous crime and can’t be brushed under the carpet. Action must be taken against the accused,” she told a daily.
The alleged rapist works as an electrician and is from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh; and has not been arrested yet.
Upon further investigations more horrific details of the abuse were shared with the Police.
Mother was also aware of the sexual assault
The victim told the Childline helpline as well as the police that she was regularly abused and when she resisted, her father would beat her up and even torture her.
Not just that, her mother was also aware of the sexual assault, but chose to remain mum. The elder sister of the victim was also allegedly sexually assaulted by her father on several occasions, but she often managed to avoid him.
This meant that whenever this abusive man found his youngest daughter alone, he would rape her.
The girl is now being counselled by experts, but the fact that she had to go through such a horrific ordeal. And to top it all, her own family abandoned and ignored her abuse.
And while this could be attributed to their background and lack of education, we as parents must make an effort to educate our kids about sexual abuse.
Here's how you can begin:
- Teach your kids that your body is your own: Make them understand that nobody has the right to touch their bodies without their permission. Be it a known family member, relative or friend. If your child is not comfortable, there is no need to push them to befriend that person. Make them understand about sexuality and ‘private body parts.’
- Teach them the difference between good touch, bad touch: Teach children that a good touch is when they are comfortable with it, and a bad touch is when their private parts are touched without their consent.
- Teach them that prevention and protection are the responsibilities of adults: Tell your children about how to prevent and protect themselves and that taking care of them is an adult’s responsibility. Notice if your children are feeling shameful or are acting aloof. It is a warning sign of sexual abuse.
- Teach them to report and disclose closeness to unknown strangers or those known: Children must be instructed about adults who are part of their safety network. Encourage your kids to select people they trust. Also ask them to keep you informed about who is befriending them or to stay away from strangers.
Also read: Child sexual abuse: Teach your kids about ‘The Underwear Rule’
(All images courtesy: Pixabay | For representational purposes only)
