HIV+ woman arrested for raping minor nephew due to 'jealousy'
A 23-year-old HIV+ woman was arrested in Uttarakhand's Dehradun for allegedly sexually assaulting her 15-year-old nephew in order to infect him with the virus. The cops stated in a statement that the lady was apprehended based on a complaint lodged by the boy's family on Saturday. She was eventually brought before a local court, which sentenced her to prison.
According to police, the accused woman's husband died of AIDS last year after which she returned to her hometown in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. Her nephew, the son of her husband's elder brother, had gone there last month around Holi as part of a grieving tradition, where she sexually attacked him many times. She warned him of grave repercussions if he (the minor) told anybody.
On April 2, while allegedly threatening the victim, the woman was caught by the victim's mother, after which the boy narrated the ordeal. The boy's parents then filed a police report against the woman. As per police sources cited by The Times of India, the lady was envious because her husband's brother's family was hale and hearty.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the woman for a "malignant act likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life" and "aggravated sexual assault" under Sections 270 of the IPC and 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act.
Childline, a child abuse helpline, says India reports the largest number of child sexual abuse cases in the world. The National Crime Records Bureau data released in September last year shows that 47,221 cases under the Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were reported across the country in 2020. Of these, UP reported a maximum of 6,898 such cases.
The data revealed that 2,630 cases out of 6,898 cases reported in Uttar Pradesh (UP) were related to Sections 4 and 6 of the POSCO Act for unnatural sex and penetrative sex with children. Out of the total cases in UP, around 3,897 were related to sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault with children including 3,881 girl victims and 16 boys.
