A Dalit lady, aged 18, from Kerala in South India, alleges that more than 60 males sexually assaulted her over a span of five years.
The survivor, an athlete, is a member of one of India’s most marginalised castes.
Authorities report the apprehension of a minimum of 28 individuals in response to her allegation.
They are charged with sexually assaulting her for a duration of five years. The defendants, aged 17 to 47, comprise her neighbour, sports coach, father’s acquaintance, fellow athletes, and classmates.
A preliminary inquiry indicated that the girl, involved in school-level athletic training, was subjected to abuse by a sports trainer, a fellow athlete, and others,” a police officer said The Times of India.
The purported abuse was revealed after the woman informed counsellors at a gender awareness program conducted under a government initiative in the Pathanamthitta district.
The police report that they have filed 18 charges against the accused under many statutes, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The assault commenced at the age of 13 when a neighbour of the adolescent purportedly molested her and captured obscene photographs of her.
Over the subsequent five years, she endured harassment from 64 males and was reportedly gang-raped three times.
The victim diligently recorded details of her abusers and provided leads to the detectives, according to the police.
A police official said The South First, “This is an uncommon and troubling instance of extended exploitation.” Another said that a case of this nature “may be unprecedented in the context of a POSCO case”.
The Kerala government has established a specialised team of 25 policemen to accelerate the inquiry into the sexual assault claims.
At least 14 of the arrested individuals have been placed in 14-day judicial custody while law enforcement seeks the remaining offenders.
Veena George, the state’s minister for women and child development, has assured that all perpetrators will be held accountable. “This egregious offence will not remain unpunished,” she stated.
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