In a horrific incident, a minor tribal girl was allegedly gang-raped by a group of youths, who took turns at sexually assaulting her for several hours in the Adaviramavaram forest area in Pinapaka mandal, a day before her 16th birthday on March 11.
The heinous crime came to light belatedly a week after it had been committed, owing to alleged attempts by some “local influential persons” to hush it up.
The girl, a school drop-out and hailing from a tribal hamlet under Pandurangapuram gram panchayat, had gone to a local shop to buy chocolates on the eve of her birthday.
Two youths, including an autorickshaw driver, approached her and offered to drop her at her house.
They drove her to an isolated place on the periphery of the Adaviramavaram forest and allegedly raped her by threatening to kill her.
The duo then called five of their associates, who allegedly sexually assaulted her even as she yelled for help, sources said.
The duo later shifted her to an abandoned hut on the outskirts of Adaviramavaram where she was allegedly raped by five more youths.
The accused left her at Dubbagumpu village in the early hours of the next day before escaping.
Traumatised by the incident, the girl proceeded to her relative’s house on March 12.
She reached her village two days ago and informed her anxious parents of the incident.
Some local leaders allegedly intervened and tried to cover up the incident.
However, the victim’s mother filed a complaint with the Edulla Bayyaram police on Saturday night.
“We have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of the IPC against two youths and their associates based on the complaint filed by the victim’s mother,” said Rama Krishna, SI, Edulla Bayyaram.
All the accused were in the age group of 20-25 years and hail from Pinapaka mandal, he said quoting the victim’s statement.
