14-Year-Old Girl With COVID-19 Sexually Assaulted At Delhi Care Centre By Another Patient: Report

A 14-year-old girl, who was admitted at the Sardar Patel COVID-19 Care Centre in South Delhi's Chhatarpur for treatment, has alleged that she was sexually assaulted inside the washroom. The incident came to light when the teenager levied accusations against another coronavirus patient and reported the incident to the police on July 15.

The accused, 19, was undergoing treatment at the same centre for mild symptoms of the disease, police said on Thursday, reported The Hindu.

The survivor and the accused both are from a slum cluster located near the care centre. The girl had been admitted to the facility with her relatives.

What You Should Know

• A 19-year-old man allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl at a care centre in south Delhi.
• They both were undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
• The police added the girl also accused another man of filming the act on a mobile phone.
• Both the accused have been arrested, as per police reports.

Also Read: No Country For Women. Bihar gang rape survivor sent to jail for "misbehaviour"

Another man filmed the assault

The 14-year-old girl has alleged that while she was using the washroom, the accused attacked her, while an accomplice of his filmed the incident on a mobile phone. She claimed that the other man also kept a watch so that no one could get into the washroom. The two accused men have been arrested after the girl opened up to her relative, the police said, adding that both have been sent to judicial custody, Times of India reported. The mobile phone that had been allegedly used to film the crime have also been seized.

“The youth started chatting casually with the girl near the bathroom late at night on July 15,” police said, according to the TOI report.

“He asked his 20-year-old friend to stand guard to warn him in case someone came to that side while he was committing the crime. After the traumatic experience, the girl quietly went to sleep. Later, she discussed the incident with some friends, who informed the doctors at the centre," it was reported

Also Read: Kerala: Police Booked Seven People Including Father For Sexually Abusing A Minor Girl

Survivor moved out of the centre

Based on her complaint, a case was registered against the two men under section 376 (punishment for sexual assault) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant provisions of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. "The two have been arrested and sent to judicial custody. We are investigating the matter further," a senior police officer added saying that the person who filmed her did not sexually assault the teenager, only watched. He is also aged 19 years.

Following the incident, the survivor has been moved to another COVID care centre for further treatment.

Feature Image Credit: BloombergQuint

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