Orphanage rape victim records her statement before judge

A teenage girl on Friday recorded her statement against a man who allegedly raped her last month at an orphanage in the city.

The statement of the victim was recorded by a female judge of District East inside her chamber after which the document was sealed to be opened in the trial court. The suspect, Mehdi Hasan, who is an employee at the orphanage located on Kashmir Road, where the girl had been living for a decade, was also presented in the court after the expiry of his second physical remand.

The investigation officer told judge that the custody of the suspect was not longer required as the interrogation with him had been completed. He submitted a progress report before the judge.

Accepting the report, the judge sent the suspect to jail in judicial custody and ordered the IO to file a charge sheet against the suspect within two weeks.

The suspect was arrested after an aunt of the victim lodged a complaint at the Jamshed Quarters police station. She said that her niece had been living at the orphanage since her parents died 10 years ago. She added that she had gone to meet her on June 13 when her niece had narrated her ordeal to her.

The victim said that the suspect, an accountant at the orphanage, called her inside her office on May 26 and subjected her to rape. She added that the suspect also threatened her to not tell this to anyone; otherwise, she would face dire consequences.