Minor kills self; father held for sexual abuse

MUMBAI: The police arrested a man on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting his teenage daughter, who died by suicide two days ago. The police learnt about the crime from the suicide note that the girl had left behind.

As per the police, the teenager who stayed with her parents and two siblings in Waliv, Vasai East, hanged herself on Wednesday. The girl’s mother had gone to the market and on returning home found the girl hanging from the ceiling of their house.

Kailash Barve, senior police inspector, Waliv police station, said that the police were looking for the motive behind the suicide. However, since the parents were in shock their statements could not be recorded immediately after the incident.

“On Wednesday, we found a suicide note that the girl had written in one of her notebooks, which was in their neighbour’s house. The girl’s friend gave us the note,” added Barve.

The suicide mentioned that she had decided to die by suicide because she was frustrated with her father sexually abusing her repeatedly, he said, adding, “The girl also wrote that her mother was aware of the crime, but she did not say anything. The girl had requested the police to arrest her father but let her mother go as she had two of her siblings to take care of.”

The girl ended the note by saying she loved her siblings and asked her mother to take care of them.

“We have arrested the father of the girl on Thursday for abetment to suicide and sexually abusing a minor under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and that of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012,” added Barve.

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