Schoolgirl, 10, gives birth after allegedly being raped by her stepfather for over two years
A ten-year-old girl reportedly gave birth after she was allegedly raped over the course of two years by her stepfather. Although investigations into the case are currently ongoing, the local state governor in Tolimo, Colombia, stated that the girl's stepfather and a worker at the building where she lives are being considered as the chief suspects in the case. The schoolgirl, who has not been identified, is now being taken care of by a medical center in the city of Ibague in Tolima. The girl is reportedly from the south of the region in Prado. Tolima governor, Ricardo Orozco, in a statement to local media on Thursday, December 17, said that the case had been identified by local government officials working in child protection. Although it is not yet clear exactly when the child gave birth, the governor, however, said that it is believed that the girl has been caring for the infant for about 26 days, according to the Sun.
Orozco said that a preliminary investigation into the case had been carried out by investigators and they believe that the girl had been sexually assaulted since she was eight years old. The prime suspects in the case are the child's 43-year-old stepfather and a 23-year-old member of staff at the property where she lives, the governor added. The current status of the investigation is, however, not yet clear. The governor also released a statement to the public, saying that they should come forward if they suspect a child is being abused. He said: "We cannot allow that within families they cover their children, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, or a romantic partner. I invite all people from Tolima to denounce [any such case]."
It is not yet clear why the child was not given access to legal abortion. Women can get legal abortions in Colombia if they become pregnant from a sexual assault, if the birth poses danger to the mother, or if the fetus is physically deformed.
In another chilling case, a ten-month-old baby died after her own father allegedly raped her and waited for an hour before calling the authorities. The alleged incident reportedly took place on October 3. Austin Stevens allegedly raped the child before calling 911 for help. The 29-year-old father was arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault, rape of a child, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and other criminal counts.
An officer, who responded to a crime scene, revealed to a court in Montgomery County on December 1, that the baby's skin had turned gray when he arrived. A judge, after the hearing, ruled that Stevens will be held for trial on all charges against him. The charges against Stevens, an assistant youth football coach, include murder, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, rape of a child, aggravated assault, and related offenses. Officer Eric Honick, who responded to a 911 call from Stevens on October 3 this year, testified saying he arrived at the scene around 10:40 PM and found the child unresponsive in a "blood saturated" diaper. Honick said: "She was in only a diaper and Mr. Stevens was standing at foot of the bed. She was unresponsive. Her skin was gray. I picked her up and put her on the floor to begin CPR. She was cold to touch." The officer also reportedly testified that the child's father did not display any emotion during the ordeal and instead claimed that the baby had slipped and hit her head while she was in the bath.
Zara was rushed to the Einstein Medical Center in Montgomery County by the responders, where she was eventually pronounced dead by doctors. The diaper, which was nearly soaked in blood, was handed to the police to aid further investigation.