HIV-infected girl alleges rape, forced abortion at Latur children's home; 6 booked

Latur, Jul 25 (PTI) Six persons were booked on Friday on the complaint of an HIV-infected girl that she was raped over a period of two years at a children's shelter in Maharashtra's Latur district and forced to undergo an abortion when she got pregnant, a police official said.

As per the complaint filed by the girl in Dhoki police station in her native Dharashiv district, the incidents took place between July 13, 2023 and July 23 this year at a home for HIV-infected children in Hasegaon here, the official said.

"As per her complaint, the child was at the institution for the past two years. She was allegedly raped by an employee of the children's home four times. He also threatened her to not disclose the ordeal to anyone. The institution's management did not help her and even tore up a letter she had marked for officials and had dropped into a complaint box," he said.

After she fell ill, she was taken to a hospital where tests revealed she was four months pregnant, following which the accused got a doctor to perform an abortion procedure without her consent, the official added.

Six persons have been booked by Dhoki police, including the founder and superintendent of the institution, the employee who raped her and the doctor who performed the abortion procedure, the official said.

The process of transferring the case to Ausa police station, in whose jurisdiction the alleged incidents took place, is underway, the official said, adding no arrest has been made so far. PTI COR BNM