A patient allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl being treated at a coronavirus facility in Delhi, PTI reported on Thursday. The 19-year-old man and his accomplice have been arrested.
The incident took place on July 15. The girl alleged that the man sexually assaulted her inside a bathroom at the facility while his accomplice filmed the incident.
The police were alerted about the incident by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, who are managing the coronavirus care facility. “We have registered a case against the two men under the POCSO [Protection of Children from Sexual Offences] Act and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South district) Parvinder Singh told The Indian Express. “The accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody but will remain in institutional care till they recover from the infection. We are investigating the matter further.”
A staff member at the facility told the newspaper that the girl has been moved to another centre with a family member and is being counselled.
Security arrangements at the facility have been stepped up after the incident. “CCTV cameras have been installed and ITBP personnel are manning the facility and have deployed personnel,” an unidentified official said. “The police will submit their report and then judicial proceedings will take place.”
Delhi has reported more than 1.27 lakh coronavirus cases so far. Over 1 lakh patients have recovered while 3,745 have died. Several reports and experts have pointed at a sharp increase in rates of crime against women and children during the pandemic.
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