A Dalit woman in India claims that she was raped by 64 men over the course of five years
An 18-year-old Dalit girl from the southern Indian state of Kerala has accused 64 men of sexually abusing her since she was 13.
The police have so far arrested 28 people in connection with this case – the men are in custody and have not made any statements to the public.
The accused, aged between 17 and 47, include the woman’s neighbours, sports coaches and her father’s friends, police told the BBC.
The woman reported the alleged abuse after a team of counselors working under a government program visited her home.
The police have registered around 18 cases under various Indian crime laws as well as the Caste and Tribe (Prevention of Crime) Act – which is a law to prevent crimes against people belonging to lower castes and tribes in India.
Dalits lie at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy and face widespread discrimination in India despite laws protecting them.
Cases have also been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, as the molestation took place when the woman was a minor, senior police official Nandakumar S told BBC Hindi.
More cases are expected to be registered in the coming days as police are still investigating the case. A team of 25 members was formed.
Police say the alleged abuse began when the girl was 13 years old. The neighbor allegedly abused her and photographed her sexually explicit, writes the News Minute portal.
Her neighbor allegedly sexually abused her again when she was 16, took a video of the abuse and shared it with several others who continued to assault her over many years.
A lawyer who heads the district’s Child Welfare Committee (CWC) told the Indian Express newspaper that the woman was an athlete and had attended various sports camps, which could have facilitated further abuse.
Police say the woman was allegedly gangraped three times in the past five years.
Her alleged abusers allegedly used her father’s phone number to contact her, and the woman saved their contacts on the phone. The police are now using the phone to trace the accused.
The woman’s family reportedly did not know about the alleged abuse.
The matter came to light when a team of counselors visited the woman’s home last month. The counselors informed the CWC and the woman was asked to appear before the committee along with her mother.
“She received counseling and opened up to a psychologist, talking about the sexual abuse she has been facing since the age of 13,” a CWC head told The Indian Express.
He added that the woman has been shifted to a CWC-affiliated shelter for her protection.
The woman’s allegations caused a shock throughout the country. She is expected to give a detailed statement about the alleged abuse of female police officers.
Additional reporting by Imran Qureshi, BBC Hindi
