Rape of 6-year-Old in Ctg: A mother’s weary quest for justice

Last week, a woman was seen sitting in front of Chattogram Press Club. She did not have any banner or poster with her nor a group of people to express solidarity. All she had was pain in her eyes, which had become weary seeking justice.

When approached by this correspondent, she said she wants justice for her six-year-old daughter, who was raped by their neighbours in 2018.

Though she had filed a case in this regard, two years after the incident, the case is yet to be resolved, with the perpetrators -- out on bail -- roaming free.

"I have nowhere else to go, that's why I came to seek help from the media," she wailed.

She said on April 18, 2018, her daughter was home alone at their rented tin-shed house at CNB area's Hamidchar.

She, an apparel factory worker, and her rickshaw-puller husband were both out on work.

When the mother came back home, she found her daughter writhing in agony. She said two men had come in and hurt her. Distressed over what might have happened, she checked her daughter's body and found blood around her genitals.

She informed her neighbours. A crowd then gathered and the girl was asked to identify who had hurt her.

She pointed at their neighbour Abu Nasher alias Jamal (50). It was later found that the other person was Jasim Uddin (40).

She said her husband was visiting Sylhet at the time and she could not take up the issue immediately. On top of this, she fell ill with chickenpox soon after.

It took around 10 days before the family could lodge a case with Chandgaon Police Station accusing Jamal and Jasim of raping their daughter.

Liton Chandra Roy, then sub-inspector of Chandgaon police, was assigned the case's investigation officer. He visited the spot, spoke to the girl, her family and their neighbours.

The girl was sent to the One-stop Crisis Centre of Chattogram Medical College Hospital for medical tests. Later, the IO arrested the two accused in connection with the case.

In the statement, which was taken by a magistrate under Section 22 of the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act, the child stated how the two men raped her.

Law enforcers also spoke to witnesses in this regard.

On September 25 of the same year, the then Inspector of Chandgaon police Jobayer Sayed pressed charges against the two.

But the two got out on bail, the mother said.

Their story of trauma did not stop with the rape, she told this correspondent. Rather, their agonies have been piling ever since.

"After getting arrested, the duo started to have people threaten us. They were trying to force us to withdraw the case," she said.

"We had to leave our area and shift to another place at Double Mooring. We also lodged a GD against them," she added. "My daughter is still traumatised. I feel so distressed to leave her alone at home that I've left my job."

September 27 was the latest scheduled date for the case's hearing.

On the day, the accused straight up walked up to the family and threatened them to withdraw the case, right on the court premises, she alleged.

The mother said they have been doing this ever since they came out on bail around early last year.

The case is now under trial at Chattogram Women and Child Repression Tribunal-5.

Talking to The Daily Star, complainant's lawyer advocate Uday Sangkar said, "Only the mother has testified in the case so far. The trial process is being delayed due to absence of witnesses, which intensified after the family changed their location."

"The court has issued summons to witnesses but most remain untraceable," said advocate Uday. For example, for the hearing on September 27, no witnesses came to the court, he added.

He said there are in total 13 witnesses including police and the mother. "We will inform the court that some witnesses are reluctant to appear before it. The court will take action in this regard," he added.

Such complications escape the mother though, who demands justice no matter what.

"You won't believe how we're surviving. All I know is that I want justice, that I want capital punishment for the criminals," she said.