Just a day after, the shocking incident of a four-year-old boy sexually assaulting his classmate with a pencil inside the classroom of a Delhi school came to light, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights has summoned the principal and three other staff members of the reputed school.
"Considering the seriousness of the matter you are asked to appear before the commission on November 27 and bring along the two teachers concerned and the 'aaya'," the panel was quoted as saying in a notice issued to the school.
The incident took place on Friday and came to light when the victim, who is the same age as the accused, returned home and complained of pain in her private parts, following which a medical examination confirmed that the minor was sexually assaulted.
Though the police have registered a rape case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, they are seeking legal guidance in the case owing to the tender age of the accused.
Moreover, Section-82 of the IPC says that "nothing is an offence which is done by a child under seven years of age."
"The Indian Penal Code (IPC) provides children below seven years of age certain protections against prosecution. We are examining those provisions even as we are handling the matter with utmost sensitivity," Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police's chief spokesperson.
According to the statement recorded, the young victim's mother had said initially she had ignored her child's complaints about the pain as she thought that the girl was throwing tantrums.
But on Friday night, the child started crying and told her mother that her classmate had assaulted her using a pencil and his finger after unbuttoning her pants in an empty classroom.
School authorities ignore complaint?
Additionally, the teacher in charge of the two children's class reportedly ignored a text message sent by the girl's mother complaining about the assault.
On Saturday, when she approached the school authorities, they did not cooperate with her and refused to provide details of the accused, she said.
The police are also investigating the victim's family allegations that no teacher or helper was present in the classroom when the assault took place.
