New Delhi – Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala have arrested 49 of 64 men accused of sexually abusing an 18-year-old girl over the past five years. The girl, who has not been identified, has told investigators that she was sexually abused and gang-raped several times from the age of 13.
The men accused of the attacks include a childhood friend of the girl, along with neighbors and family friends, police told partner network CBS News, BBC News. At least five students from her college and former classmates from her school are among those accused, according to the Indian outlet. Summary of the News.
Most of those accused are in their teens or early 20s, respectively Times of India.
“Forty-nine people have been arrested,” Pathanamthitta district Deputy Superintendent of Police Nandakumar S. told AFP news agency on Wednesday. “We have identified the remaining 14 and they would be arrested soon.”
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The alleged abuse began five years ago when the girl's neighbor allegedly harassed her and took sexual pictures and videos, which he then shared with others and used to to blackmail the girl while he continued to abuse.
The police have told the Indian media that the girl was raped at least three times in the past five years.
The alleged abuse came to light last month when a team of counselors working under a government program visited her home.
“She was counselled, and she opened up in front of a psychologist, telling about the sexual abuse she has suffered since the age of 13,” N. Rajeev, head of the National Committee for Child Welfare, told The Indian Express.
The Kerala Police has asked a team of 25 officers to investigate the allegations.
At least 18 cases related to the girl's abuse have been registered so far under various Indian laws – including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act – which aims to prevent to charge crimes against people from the lower castes and tribes in Social Hierarchy of India Centuries ago.
The victim of abuse in Kerala is a member of the Dalit community, the lowest caste in India. There are Dalits face discrimination and abuse for many years.
Criminal cases have also been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, as most of the alleged abuse took place when the girl was a child, Deputy Director Nandakumar told the Hindi language service of BBC.
The shocking scale of the alleged abuse has drawn national headlines in a country where an average of almost 90 rapes were reported per day in 2022, the latest year for which national data is available. It is believed that many more go unreported.
