For many children, sexual abuse does not involve a stranger.
In several reported cases, the accused is someone the child already knows, including family members or people close to the family.
Sometimes, the abuse happens inside the very home where a child is supposed to feel safest.
A case from Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district has raised this concern again.
A man was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter at their home in Chiloda.
So, what happened inside the family that led to the case?
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How The Dispute Started
According to police, the man's wife had left their home about a week before the alleged assault.
She went to her parents' house with their two children following a dispute with her husband.
The dispute followed allegations involving the man's behaviour towards a woman who had been staying at their home.
India Today reported that the woman accused the man of making lewd advances towards her and molesting her when she was alone.
The allegations led to an argument between the couple.
The woman then left for her parents' home.
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The Father Took His Daughter Home
The accused went to his in-laws' house on Wednesday, according to police.
He insisted on taking one of the children with him.
The family was initially reluctant but eventually allowed the elder daughter to accompany her father.
Police Inspector S J Chauhan told The Times of India that the mother trusted him because he was the child's father.
The girl returned home with him.
Police alleged that the man sexually assaulted the child that night at their residence.
India Today reported that the child was sleeping with him when the alleged assault took place. The child cried out in pain, following which the assault stopped, police said.
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How The Case Came To Light
The alleged assault came to light the following morning.
The girl's aunt noticed bleeding while bathing her and alerted the family.
The child was taken to a nearby hospital and later referred to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.
A medico-legal examination indicated sexual assault, following which the hospital informed the police.
The family then approached the police.
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Police Arrested The Accused
Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, or POCSO, Act.
The accused allegedly fled after the incident.
Police traced him and arrested him in Gandhinagar on Thursday. Then he was reportedly arrested within hours of the complaint.
He was booked on charges of rape and under the POCSO Act.
Police said further investigation was underway.
The child is undergoing treatment and counselling.
What The NCRB Data Shows
The Gandhinagar case comes against the backdrop of data showing that children are often sexually abused by people they already know.
The NCRB's Crime in India 2024 report recorded 69,191 cases under the POCSO Act across India in 2024.
Of these, 44,126 cases were registered under Sections 4 and 6, which cover penetrative and aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
The accused was known to the child in 42,634 of those cases, or 96.6%.
Only 1,492 cases involved an offender who was unknown or unidentified.
The known offenders included different groups.
Friends, online friends or live-in partners on the pretext of marriage were involved in 22,308 cases.
Family friends, neighbours, employers and other known persons were involved in another 16,668 cases.
Family members were involved in 3,658 cases.
These figures are specifically for cases registered under Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act in 2024. They should not be presented as the total number of all child sexual abuse cases involving family members in India.
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TL;DR | News At Glance
What happened?
A four-year-old girl in Gandhinagar was allegedly sexually assaulted by her father.
How did the case come to light?
Her aunt noticed bleeding while bathing her the next morning.
What did the medical examination show?
A medico-legal examination indicated sexual assault.
What did police do?
Police registered a POCSO case and arrested the accused in Gandhinagar.
What does the NCRB data show?
Of 44,126 cases registered under POCSO Sections 4 and 6 in 2024, 42,634 involved an accused known to the child. Family members were involved in 3,658 cases.
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