Class 9 girl adopted as 3-month-old raped by father for 2 years in Surat

SURAT: A girl abandoned by her biological parents got a new lease of life when a childless couple from the city adopted her when she was three months old.

But the girl, who is now nearing 14 and studying in Class 9, became a victim of sexual abuse with the perpetrators being her adoptive father, his younger brother, and his three nephews. The ordeal of the teenager, which began in 2021, was exposed by her adoptive mother who witnessed her husband abusing her on Friday.

She rescued the girl and wnet to Adajan police station to lodge a complaint against her 46-year-old husband, his younger brother (41), his elder brother's son (24), younger brother's son (22), and sister-in-law's 16-year-old son.

Police arrested four people including adoptive father and his brother and two nephews.

It all began in 2021, when the accused took her to the first floor of their house and raped her. She was subjected to sexual abuse multiple times by the five accused. The survivor told police that she did not complain earlier as her father and others threatened to kill her or thrash her.

The couple had adopted the girl from a government shelter. Police said the girl had confided in her mother in early 2022 when she noticed scratch marks on her body. When her mother confronted the husband, it resulted in severe disputes between the couple and he sent the girl to study in a hostel. The adoptive mother did not approach police then thinking the abuse had stopped. Police investigation revealed that girl was allegedly raped by a man in 2021 with whom she had eloped. However, she was rescued by the police, and being a minor, an offence of rape was registered against the man.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)