Arunachal court hands over minor rape victim to relative of accused

State child rights panel has taken note of the case of the girl from Nepal that it said could set a bad precedent

The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) has taken a “grim note” of the decision of a local court to hand over a minor rape victim to her “local guardian” who happens to be a relative of the accused. The APSCPCR has also flagged the alleged refusal of the district court in Lohit district’s Tezu to let a member of the local Child Care Institute (CCI) in while hearing the girl, a possible victim of child trafficking from Nepal. The girl worked as domestic help at Roing, the headquarters of the adjoining Lower Dibang Valley district. “One of our members will be visiting Roing within two days to make an assessment of how the case has been handled. The decision of the court a few days ago could set a bad precedent without taking into consideration the trauma the victim of sexual abuse has to undergo,” APSCPCR Chairperson Gumri Ringu told The Hindu from State capital Itanagar.