Police are investigating after a schoolgirl was allegedly gang raped after being abducted and taken to a house. Local media in Bangladesh report the girl was in a class that would make her 10 to 11 years old.
It’s reported that the youngster suffered a horrific ordeal after being kidnapped on Tuesday, June 9, in the Gobindaganj Upazila district of the city of Rangpur, in northern Bangladesh. Police said the girl had been on her way home from a class when she was forced into a rickshaw by older students and taken to a house.
Detectives said the girl escaped the property after allegedly being attacked by four men, who took it in turns to rape her.
The police were alerted after the girl told her father what happened. She was taken to Gaibandha General Hospital for a medical examination. Authorities said one man had so far been arrested and officers were conducting patrols in the local area.
There have previously been widespread protests in Bangladesh, and neighbouring India, highlighting violence and rape crimes committed against women.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) the police in Bangladesh “do not generally have the same approach to rape and sexual assault cases as in the UK”.
On the FCDO website it states: “They are unlikely to have specialised training on treating victims sensitively and their questioning may therefore feel intrusive or judgemental.
“Whilst homosexuality is illegal in Bangladesh, anyone who sexually assaults a man or a woman can face criminal charges.
“When you file your report, there is no guarantee that a female officer will be available or that you will be given somewhere private to wait. Very few police officers speak English. An interpreter can be made available, but you may have to wait for one to arrive.”
