Father rapes daughter

 

On February 27, a 12-year old girl in Chumey, Bumthang alleged that she had been raped by her 45-year-old father thrice in the absence of her mother.

She was raped on January 24 for the first time when her mother was in her village, Surey in Gelephu for a month.

However, after she returned, the mother learned that her daughter was raped by  the father for three days incessantly.

The victim’s mother approached the police and complained that her daughter, a third-grade student, had been raped by her husband who is from Assam, a laborer with DANTAK in Bumthang.

According to the victim’s statement to the police, he was under the influence of alcohol and had forced her into painful sex. He even threatened to kill her if she ever spoke about it to anyone.

She affirmed that she spent a few nights in the forest after she was raped; the nearest neighbor’s place is about 15 minutes’ walk from their home and when the girl did not turn up, the man checked with the neighbor for her.

The man refused to confess the incident to his wife when she questioned him in front of their daughter but after she filed the police complaint, he confessed when interrogated by the police.

According to the Bumthang police, the man is  a chronic alcoholic who under the influence of alcohol had raped  his own daughter but he has no record of such offense in the past.

The victim was taken to Bumthang General Hospital for investigation but doctors were unable to detect any signs of rape since the check up was delayed.

“We did sperm analysis but could not detect any as the complaint was only after a month of the incidence,” Dr. Tandin Zangpo said.

But he did add that the medical examination could not rule out sexual intercourse.

This is the second rape case reported in Bumthang and the first case of statutory rape. The rape of a married woman was reported last year and one case of attempted rape was reported in 2006.

Meanwhile, the accused  has been detained by the Bumthang police for further inquiry.