LUCKNOW: A nine-month-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped by her 14-year-old relative in Gorakhpur district, police said on Sunday.The juvenile during interrogation claimed that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crime.The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday when the accused allegedly lifted the infant from her home while she was asleep beside her mother.The family discovered the child missing later in the morning and launched a frantic search across the village.After hours of searching, the baby was found lying in a field about 500 metres away from the house.She had sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to hospital, where doctors confirmed sexual assault.Other forensic examination reports are still awaited.
Accused joined search for missing infant
“During interrogation, the juvenile confessed to the crime. He stated that he had taken the child from the house while she was asleep and committed the offence under the influence of alcohol,” said Patil Nimish Dasharath, additional superintendent of police (Gorakhpur).Police said the accused had recently returned to the village and is the maternal uncle of the survivor.In a disturbing detail, he also joined family members and villagers in searching for the child after she went missing.Investigators detained the boy after scanning CCTV footage and questioning locals to reconstruct the sequence of events.His mobile phone has been seized, and objectionable content recovered from it is being analysed as part of the probe.Police said swab samples and other evidence have been collected and sent to the forensic science laboratory. Based on circumstantial and technical evidence, the juvenile was apprehended and sent to a shelter home.He will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Monday for further legal proceedings.
Should families of victims be involved in the judicial process of their offenders?
Further investigation is underway.
