Kundara shocker: Mother kept silent as grandfather raped minor girls for over a year

Ever since the 10-year-old girl from Kundara in Kollam was found hanging from a window in her house this January, there were serious doubts about the death which was written off as a case of suicide. The police and the family members, including the victim's mother, were in a hurry to write it off as a suicide.

In a shocking turn of events, the victim's 62-year-old grandfather was arrested for sexually abusing the victim and pushing her to the edge. Police now reveal that the 14-year-old elder sister of the girl was also subjected to sexual abuse by her grandfather. Even more shocking was the revelation that the victims' mother and grandmother knew it, but kept silent, for some mysterious reason, as the man continued to rape the girls for more than a year.
 

Related: 10-year-old found dead in Kollam house subjected to sexual violence
 

After trying to mislead the investigation team for over a week, the two women opened up on Sunday, leading to the arrest of the man. Police officials said that the mother of the victim had resolutely defended her father before and even threatened to commit suicide if her father was arrested in the case. 
 

Related: Kundara rape: After shocking post-mortem, mother of girl and eight others arrested
 

The statement of the elder sister of the deceased came as a turning point in the case. The mother and grandmother of the victims continued to shield the suspect, giving a tough time to the investigators. On Saturday, the police sought permission to conduct narco-analysis tests on the women and the grandfather. The court readily granted permission which might have put the women under pressure. 

 

The statement of  elder sister of the deceased came as a turning point in the case.
 

In the joint interrogation by the police and psychologists on Sunday, the mother of the victim lost her cool and tried to smash her father's head with a chair. The timely intervention of the investigators prevented the situation from going worse. It remains a mystery why the women tried to shield the man all these years. The man confessed to the crime later.

What makes things more suspicious is an earlier complaint filed by the mother of the victim alleging that her estranged husband was sexually abusing her child. Her husband was arrested and was remanded for a month. Now, the investigators are convinced that the woman was falsely implicating her husband and have sought to halt the trial against him. Relatives of his wife allegedly beat the girl's father when he tried to take a final look at her dead body.    

The negligence of the police should also be blamed for the delay in the investigation. Despite the post-mortem report clearly stated that the girl was subjected to sexual abuse just a day before the death, the police did not take it seriously. 

The amount of twists and turns this case has seen only strengthens the case against the grandfather. Sometimes it is the abuse that goes on within the family that goes unreported due to fear, stigma or pure family pressure. In this case also silence proved to be the sword that killed the 10-year-old. Taking this an example, we urge readers to never be silent bystanders when such crimes take place in homes or in the lives of people they know. Your timely intervention can prevent a precious life from being lost. 

• Kundara Rape
• Minors raped
• Child sex abuse
• Kerala news