Parents and loved ones of a five-year-old class one girl in India are still reeling from a sexual assault incident inflicted on their daughter about six months ago.
According to a report by The Print, an Indian media outlet, the minor suffered the assault at the hands of a Kenyan diplomat’s son who attends the same school as her.
Despite the damning allegations, however, the Kenyan man, a class 12 student, is yet to face any charges despite being an adult.
Police told the Indian publication that the inaction was due to the diplomatic immunity accorded to him stating, “The accused has diplomatic immunity. We have reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We can’t question or take any action against him due to his diplomatic immunity.”
Indian police officers during a patrol.
Photo
The National
In addition to the police ignoring the matter, the school’s principal is also on the hook for failing to take any action despite being informed of the incident when it happened last year.
This inaction led to mass protests outside the school on Friday, February 7, calling for justice for the little girl who was reportedly assaulted twice.
“He sexually abused her in August last year. This has happened twice. One day she complained of frequent urination and we took her to a doctor. Two doctors confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. We went to the school and informed them. They called all students who travelled on the bus except the accused. We were told that he was on a field trip,” the girl’s father lamented.
“It appears as if both the school and the police are trying to protect the accused. When we ask the police, they say the matter is with the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and that MEA will take it up in legal channels. We asked the principal and the police to suspend the accused so that my daughter could at least feel safe now but he hasn’t been. Instead, they have suggested that I change my daughter’s school.”
According to reports, she was assaulted twice on the school bus between August and September 2024. A formal complaint was lodged on September 18, 2024, under section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Initially, the victim was afraid of naming the perpetrator but a few months later in November, she told her family the man’s name and they subsequently informed the police of the same.
According to The Print, the father relayed that preliminary investigations by the police have uncovered the perpetrator is a repeat offender suspected of carrying out at least four other such assaults.
“Four other instances have come out now as well. Parents of four minors have said their daughters were assaulted by the accused but the school didn’t take any action. The principal was informed by the parents but the school administration didn’t take any action,” the father relayed.
So far, he has yet to be arrested but has been kicked out of the school as investigations proceed. The Indian government told the publication that the matter was under consideration and multiple legalities were being looked into.
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