An 11-member citizen probe team has found evidence of negligence in the responsibilities of the local police and administration in connection with the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl from the Tripura ethnic community in Khagrachari Sadar upazila.
Nasrin Siraj, assistant professor at the Department of Economics and Social Sciences of BRAC University, presented the investigation findings at a press conference organised by the Hill Women鈥檚 Federation at the National Press Club on Wednesday.聽聽
She said that the team, which included a lawyer and a physician, met with the victim at Chittagong Medical College Hospital on July 22 and found that no medical examinations of the victim was conducted, even though it was mandatory in rape cases.
When the team inquired the matter with the superintendent of the Khagrachhari police, Arefin Jewel, over phone, he said that he did not arrange a medical examination for the victim, as he felt that since 20 days had already passed before the complaint was filed, the medical report would likely come back negative, said Nasrin.聽
鈥榃ithout this medical certificate, the case will not hold water in court. The police cannot evade this responsibility (arrange victim鈥檚 medical test) simply based on the assumption that the report might come back negative. This is clearly a case of negligence in duty on the part of the police,鈥� she said.聽
鈥楾he arrests (of the four accused) appeared to be merely an attempt to manipulate us. It appears the police themselves are working to weaken the case,鈥� said Nasrin, who was involved in the investigation.聽聽聽
They demanded the police must immediately refer the 14-year-old victim to the One-Stop Crisis Centre in Chattogram with all necessary documents for a medical examination as no One-Stop Crisis Centre was not available in Khagrachari at present.聽聽聽
The investigation also found that the police showed negligence by not conducting an investigation as to why the victim attempted to commit suicide by consuming poison following her rape.聽
Mentioning that a group was spreading rumours and bullying the victim online to suppress the rape incident, they demanded that the police take legal action against the misinformation and cyber bullying targeting her.
They also demanded that the government must bear her treatment expenses and ensure security of the both the victim and her family.聽聽聽聽
On June 27, the victim, an eighth-grade student, was allegedly gang-raped by six Bengali settlers鈥攁ll affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and working as drivers鈥攊n a house at Bhaibonchhara Bazar. They threatened to kill her if she spoke out about her rape.
The incident came to light when the victim attempted suicide by consuming poison on July 12. Later on July 17, her father filed a case with the Khagrachari Sadar police, accusing six individuals. So far, the police have arrested four accused.
Khagrachari deputy commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khandker told 抖阴精品 on Wednesday, 鈥榃e gave the victim鈥檚 family Tk 25,000 and assured them that we would cover her treatment expenses. We are doing our best.鈥�
Regarding the medical examination, the DC added that the matter lay with the police and the civil surgeon.
