Schoolboy held for attacking 21-year-old woman

15-year-old has admitted to the crime, say police

The police on Tuesday arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with an attack on a 21-year-old woman at Kottukkara, near Kondotty, in the district on Monday.

The police said the local boy had admitted to the attack and rape attempt.

The incident

The attack took place on Monday afternoon when the woman was returning home from her computer class at Kondotty. The boy had reportedly stalked the woman as she walked towards her house about a kilometre away from the highway.

As she reached a deserted farmland, the boy grabbed her and pulled her into a banana plantation. He slapped her, hit her on the head and face with a stone and tried to strangulate her with her shawl as she resisted the rape attempt.

After a scuffle with him, the woman ran for life and sought help at a nearby house.

The people at the house helped her change her torn dress and called the police. The woman was admitted to a hospital. She had suffered contusions and abrasions on her neck, face and head.

“Luckily, the injuries are not serious. It could have been worse; but she escaped from strangulation as she fought back,” said District Superintendent of Police Sujith Das S.

Swift arrest

The police intensified the hunt for the attacker with the help of a dog squad and fingerprint experts. Surveillance cameras in the region were examined, and the police zeroed in on the boy within a day after the attack.

The boy had also suffered minor injuries during the scuffle. There were scrape marks on his hands and lips reportedly caused from the woman’s nails.

The police questioned him in the presence of his father. He was found to have been trained in judo. He will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board at Tavanur.

Mr. Sujith Das said that the boy had no previous crime history. He said it was yet to be ascertained if the boy had planned the attack.

Stress among children

However, Mr. Sujith Das indicated that the attack was a reflection of the frustration that the schoolchildren were undergoing during COVID-19 time.

“Our children have had a negative psychological impact during the 19 months they stayed away from schools. They may have attended their online classes. But they have missed many crucial things needed for a sound growth during this period,” he said.