Mayiladuthurai (TN): A 14-year-old girl, who was forced to marry her brother-in-law after he sexually abused her, delivered a baby girl at the government hospital in Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai district.
The victim, a Class VIII dropout, was residing with her mother, a sanitary worker, in a makeshift arrangement under an overhead water tank in Varadhappattu village.
The police arrested the 24-year-old man and booked the girl's mother for abetment to the crime. The man is the husband of one of the girl's elder sisters.
The incident came to light after an anonymous caller informed ChildLine helpline 1098 a week ago about the girl’s pregnancy.
A team led by district child protection officer (DCPO), Nagapattinam, visited the village, where they were told that the girl has been admitted to the government hospital in Mayiladuthurai.
Based on a complaint from DCPO, police booked a case under section 5 (l) (penetrative sexual assault) read with 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 17 (abetment of the offence against child) under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Section 9 (punishment for male adult marrying minor girl) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
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