HIV+ minor girl sexually abused at NGO’s hostel

Pune: A woman was allegedly sexually abusing an HIV-positive 13-year-old girl over three months at a hostel run by an NGO for HIV-positive girls at Bhugaon in Pune.

The minor approached the police with a relative and registered a complaint against the accused that is being verified. The NGO, Foundation for Child Protection — Muskaan, works to protect kids from sexual offences.

Varsha Gurav, police sub-inspector, Farask-hana, Pune police, said, “A 13-year-old HIV-positive girl who has been staying the NGO  since childhood was being sexually abused by either another senior girl at the NGO or an employee for over three months. She, with the help of her relative, has tried to file a complaint that is being verified.”

She added, “The accused had threatened her with dire consequences if she spoke to anybody. The accused said she would kill the girl in such an event. The victim somehow managed to run away from the NGO where she had been staying for many years. She approached her mother’s friend, who had taken care of her after her mother’s death. Her aunt approached another local NGO, which helped the victim file an FIR.”

She added, “We have transferred the case to the Pune Rural Police under whose jurisdiction the NGO operates. It also has a hostel for HIV-positive girls.”

Suresh Nimbalkar, police inspector, Paud police station, under whose area the NGO’s hostel operates, said, “We have not received a complaint as of now. As soon as we get a complaint from the SP’s office of Pune Rural police, we will probe and arrest the accused.”

Emails to Muskaan regarding the issue went unanswered at the time of going to press.