Tension mounted in India's IT hub of Bangalore on Thursday (July 17) after a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two staff members on the premises of a prominent school.
The crime took place on July 2 in the school campus during class hours and the child, who is a student of first grade, is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital. Deputy Commissioner of Police T.D Pawar said that police were investigating.
"The offence has taken place on 2nd of this month and case was registered on 14th. So, we have taken up the case and we are investigating the matter taking all the aspects into consideration," said Pawar.
Parents assembled on the school premises and staged a protest, accusing the school authority of inaction. They alleged that school management was not addressing the issue with utmost urgency.
"We have been here since yesterday morning and they are not addressing our concerns properly," said a parent at the protest who gave her name as Shabnam.
Meanwhile, school owner Rustom Kerawalla said he was doing everything he could to assist the investigation.
"All cooperation is being given to the police authorities and guilty will have to be punished and all our cooperation is there towards that in spite of today being a holiday we assured that the staff are here to assist the inquiry," he said.
In December, 2012, the unprecedented nationwide protests against the gang rape of a medico in the national capital eventually forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs government to pass tougher laws to fight gender crimes in March.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 or anti-rape law passed in March puts in place a slew of new provisions and tougher punishments, which include criminalising voyeurism and stalking and making acid attacks and human trafficking specific offences.
However, activists are of the view that these laws are not enough to deter sex offenders in India's largely patriarchal societies.
Brutal sex crimes are common in India, which has a population of 1.2 billion. New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among major cities, with a rape reported every 18 hours, according to police figures.
One woman is raped every 20 minutes in India, according to the Indian National Crime Records Bureau.
Police estimate only four out of 10 rapes are reported, largely due to victims' fear of being shamed by their families and communities.
One in three rape victims in India is a child, according to UNICEF. Child sex abuse was only outlawed last year under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
REUTERS