Mother and stepfather of a 16-year-old teen Arrested...
In June, police arrested the accused mother and stepfather of the victim for forcibly taking her to a fertility centre. The two accused took their daughter to a private fertility centre to sell her oocytes.
On Saturday, the police reported that the victim threatened suicide in the government-run children’s home. The local authorities said that the victim wanted to return to her relatives. As her case is still under investigation her request was denied. However, the police disbanded claims saying that she consumed Lysol, a cleaning liquid.
A senior police officer said “She just scared everyone by saying that she drank Lysol. We found out she hadn’t consumed anything because she was taken to the hospital immediately. Still, we kept her for observation”. The officer also mentioned that she wanted to run away to her grandmother or to her uncle and aunt. The relatives told police that they cannot bring the girl back to their place as they have children too.
The victim confessed she was forced to sell her eggs eight times since 2017 and that her parents received 20,000 rupees for every visit. The stepfather was reportedly also sexually harassing the victim for more than five years. A senior officer investigating the case said “We have charged the stepfather and the mother for abetting the repeated sexual assault under POSCO Act. Investigations and a medical assessment with regards to her eggs being sold is still ongoing”.
Since the alleged suicide attempt, the victim is being provided with necessary counselling.
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