Child taken back to ICU, not talking to counsellors

GURUGRAM: The five-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries after she was kidnapped and raped by a relative in Manesar on Wednesday is stable, according to doctors of General Hospital. However, she is still not in a condition to speak or record her statement due to severe pain and trauma.

The 21-year-old accused, Akhilesh, has been booked under the POCSO Act and sent to judicial custody. He lived near the house of the girl’s sister, where she was staying. Locals entered his house looking for the girl and found her bleeding on the floor. They handed Akhilesh over to police and rushed the child to hospital where she underwent a surgery and received stitches. The sexual assault was so violent that it ruptured the child’s private parts and left her with serious internal injuries.

The girl was moved to the ward for a brief period on Thursday but was taken back to the intensive care unit (ICU). Doctors said she was in severe pain dueto the surgery and they were trying to ensure that she did not move as it could affect internal wounds and tear stitches she received. According to them, she needs rest and a noise-free atmosphere for recovery.

Child welfare committee (CWC) officials, including chairperson Shakuntala Dhull, met the girl in the hospital on Friday. But she was did not respond to counselling. “The girl is stable but considering her delicate state, it is important that her condition doesn’t worsen. We have asked doctors to not shift her till she is fully healed. As far as counselling is considered, it will be done by government-appointed counsellors. Her physical and emotional well-being is the priority. She is visibly traumatised and needs time to get comfortable to speak about the incident,” said Dhull.