Disabled teenage girl raped in Myebon Twsp

By Admin 19 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
19 October 2023, Myebon
 
A 17-year-old disabled girl in Konbaung Village, part of Arakan State’s Myebon Township, was raped last week and the alleged perpetrator was reportedly arrested by the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), according to local residents.
 
Villagers said the girl, who was born speechless and mentally ill, was raped on October 9.
 
A family member said that a 75-year-old took the girl to her home and raped her on the pretext of needing to charge his mobile phone.
 
“No one was at home because all residents had gathered at a funeral in the village,” said the family member.
 
The alleged rapist is a resident of Thayettaung Village in Myebon Township but has been living in Konbaung Village for more than four years.
 
According to residents, when village officials questioned the alleged perpetrator, he denied the the rape allegations. He is currently being interrogated by ULA/AA police, said U Phyu Thee Chay, the administrator of Konbaung Village.
 
“We have examined him, but he didn’t confess to committing any rape. He was taken by the ULA officials after being detained for one night,” the village administrator added.
 
“It is very vulgar to rape a mentally ill person who cannot speak. We want to effectively punish those who do bad things,” said a family member of the victim.
 
Since September, there have been multiple cases of child rape in Arakan State, with six rape cases — two in Pauktaw and one case each in Mrauk-U, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Myebon — reported.
 
The perpetrators of sexual violence against minors are often relatives or acquaintances of their child victims. Women’s rights activists say cases of rape of minors have been on the rise.
 
Section 376 of the Penal Code prescribes 20 years to life imprisonment for raping girls under the age of 12.