A-THREE-YEAR-OLD girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in North Goa’s Mapusa on Diwali night, leaving her hospitalized, as the Goan Police launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the accused. The incident, alongside being one of the most heinous criminal acts, has also triggered a political controversy after Goa Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar stated that 90% of such crimes are being committed by people from outside Goa. 

The girl child was found crying outside a dilapidated building near a taxi stand in Mapusa on a Sunday evening, as a passerby noticed her and rushed to help. Subsequently, the local residents got to the spot, and informed the police officials about the incident. 

See Also: 2,454 Cases of Rape in Five Months Under BJP: Why the SCRB Data on Criminal Cases has Stirred a Political Row in West Bengal

The child, as per the information disclosed by police officials to the press, had come to the Mapusa market to sell balloons along with her father on the day of Diwali, when the heinous crime took place. The locals took her to the Mapusa District Hospital in a critical condition, and was then shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Panaji for further treatment. 

Goa’s Minister sparks row with his “outsider” comment

According to the police, the girl child was found near a taxi stand in Mapusa, which is approximately nine kilometers from Panaji. It was a passerby who noticed the girl crying outside a dilapidated building in North Goa, and subsequently informed the police. 

Amid this incident, the Tribal Welfare Minister of Goa, Ramesh Tawadkar has spurred a political row by stating that 90% of the people involved in such crimes were outsiders, who had come to Goa. “Goa is a tourist state. People from outside the state come here and 90 percent of people involved in such cases are those who have come to Goa from outside,” Tawadkar said, according to The Hindu.

He further went on to condemn the “demonic mentality” of such individuals and called for stricter action from the police officials in preventing such crimes. 

See Also: Husband Gets Wife Gang-Raped in Name of 'Purification Ritual' After She Elopes With Lover; Nine Arrested

At the same time, the opposition Congress party leader in the Goa Assembly, Yuri Alemao, strongly demanded that a time-bound investigation must begin, followed by a trial at a fast-track court. Speaking to the press, Alemao said, “No delay, no leniency," The Hindu reported.

What does the NCRB data say about the crimes in Goa

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Goa has a crime rate of 13.3% which stands as the highest crime rate in terms of rape cases registered in India in 2024. In the year 2024, 105 rape cases were registered in Goa. After Goa, comes Rajasthan (12.2%), Arunachal (9.9%), Haryana (9.6%) and Himachal Pradesh (8.7%). 

See Also: What Will It Take for Women to Feel Safe?: Delhi University Erupts with Anti-Rape Chants as Students Say “Enough” at Miranda House’s Women Solidarity March

In such a situation, the aspects of safety and security of women, as well as children appear bleak in Goa. This issue was also highlighted by Yuri Alemao, who claimed that more than 61% survivors in the state are children, and the conviction rate in the crimes against women stand at a mere 9.4%. 

Police responses 

This incident of a minor being raped is being investigated by the Goan police. As per the legal frameworks in the country, the survivor ought to be protected under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

Superintendent of Police (North Goa), Rahul Gupta, informed the press that the condition of the minor girl is stable, and that they have registered a case, and are examining CCTV footage in the area to identify the accused.

^[Rh/AR]

Suggested Reading: