A four-year-old boy has been accused of sexually assaulting his classmate with a pencil at a school in Delhi. The police have registered a rape case against the child, but are consulting legal experts to determine how best to proceed against such a young accused, reported NDTV.
According to media reports, the victim told her parents that a boy in her class unbuttoned her pants, used a finger and a sharpened pencil to assault her. The boy kept hurting her allegedly because there was no one around at the time to stop him or hear her.
The parents of the girl stated in their complaint to the police that after returning from school on Friday, the victim complained of pain in her private parts. The child then told her parents about the assault, the police confirmed.
The parents have accused the school management of negligence and have also alleged that the principal, a teacher and a coordinator offered no help after learning of the incident. They also refused to share details of the accused student, complained the parents.
The parents, after doctors confirmed sexual assault, went to the police to report the incident. The police have filed a case of rape but are believed to be carefully debating the next step.
Delhi Police chief spokesperson is quoted as telling the Hindustan Times newspaper, “The Indian Penal Code provides children below seven years of age certain protections against prosecution. We are examining those provisions even as we are handling the matter with utmost sensitivity.”
The girl’s parents have alleged that the classroom and a washroom where the assault allegedly took place had been left unattended in violation of rules.
