Sexual violence towards children in Mon State continues, as 11-year-old girl raped

December 26, 2017

WCRP: On October 25^th 2017, an 11-year-old girl in Kaw Hla village, Mudon Township, Mon State, was raped by a 42-year-old man.

At approximately 1 pm, the perpetrator and the girl left to go fix the child’s mobile phone without telling her parents. The girl was taken by the perpetrator to some brush nearby the railway station in Mainka Nain village where she was then raped. The perpetrator threatened that we would kill her if she told her family and that he would buy her a new phone if she remained silent. At around 5 pm, the perpetrator took the girl back to where her parents were working in Min Hla village.

As soon as the girl arrived, her mother noticed that something was wrong and asked her what happened. However, the girl did not disclose her ordeal. After her parents finished working for the day, they came back home and found a leech on her body and asked her to tell the truth. She told her parents that she was raped by U Win Kyine. The victim’s parents reported the incident to the village administrator.

U Win Kyine was arrested and detained at the village administrator’s office, after which the Mudon Police were contacted. A female police officer, Khin Maung Tun, was dispatched to investigate the case in accordance with police rules and regulations.

During the investigation, police asked the perpetrator to show them the location of the assault and took the clothes of both the victim and perpetrator into evidence.

The perpetrator was transferred to the Mudon Police Station and was charged under Burma Penal Code Article #376 (Punishment for Rape) on October 26^th. They perpetrator has yet to appear in court.

The day after the assault, the girl was transported to Mawlamyine Hospital for a medical examination. According to a person close to the girl, the Women’s Association from Kyaikmayaw Township and members from the Mon State Hluttaw Women and Children’s Rights Committee are supporting the victim and her family.

Burma has seen a significant rise in the number of reported cases of sexual violence toward children. For more information on this and challenges to accessing justice for survivors of sexual violence in Mon State and Mon areas of Burma, see ‘Cracks in the Silence’.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News