Protests in occupied Kashmir over rape of 3-year-old

SRINAGAR (AFP): Large parts of Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) erupted in protest on Monday over the rape of a three-year-old child.

Last Wednesday, a car mechanic, a neighbour of the victim’s family, allegedly lured the child into the toilet of a nearby school and sexually assaulted her.

The accused, from the Sumbal area north of of Srinagar and thought to be 20 years old, has already been arrested.

On Monday, allegations emerged that the principal of another school issued a certificate for the accused that he was a minor, sparking anger and triggering protests across the occupied valley.

At least a dozen people, including government forces personnel, were injured when tear gas and pellet shotguns were fired to quell the protests in many towns, police officer Swayam Prakash Pani said.

“One of the injured protestors is critically wounded,” Pani said.
“We have registered a separate case against the school principal and detained him for questioning.”

Thousands also protested in Srinagar and clashed with the occupying forces.

Across the held valley, thousands of security forces wearing riot gear were deployed to contain the spreading protests.

A police statement later on Monday said that protests had spread to northern Baramulla district where 47 security personnel and seven protestors were injured in the clashes.

The security personnel used tear gas on the angry stone pelting protestors in the region. Schools across IOK shut spontaneously as did shops and businesses.

Hundreds of students at three university campuses also protested, demanding capital punishment for the alleged perpetrator and action against the school principal.

Lawyers abstained from work in the courts on Monday to express solidarity with the victim.

Condemnations of the crime poured in from leaders from across the political spectrum appealing for calm, with freedom leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying the incident was “a crime against humanity”.

Syed Ali Geelani, said the alleged crime was “a black stain on the social fabric” of Kashmir.

Pakistan condemns incident

Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal also slammed the assault on the three-year-old.

In a tweet, he said the incident was another brutal reminder of humanitarian nightmare in occupied Kashmir.