PANAJI: Goa has reported a second alleged sexual assault case involving a minor within a week, with a four-year-old girl allegedly raped at Shristhal village in Canacona taluka late Tuesday night. Police have arrested a man in his mid-20s in connection with the incident.
According to a senior police officer, the accused is a native of Bihar and had arrived in Goa just two days before the incident. He was reportedly working at a local bakery in the area.
Police arrested the accused soon after the incident was reported. The authorities are currently recording the statements of the child victim and her parents in the presence of an NGO as part of the investigation.
A senior police officer told PTI that the identity of the accused would be disclosed later, after the necessary statement-recording procedures were completed.
The Canacona incident comes just days after another disturbing case was reported from Mapusa, where a three-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted on Diwali night. However, police are yet to make a breakthrough in that case.
With two alleged cases involving very young children reported within a week, concerns over child safety in Goa have come into focus. The latest incident has also renewed questions about the protection of children and the need for effective measures to prevent such crimes.
Police investigation into the Canacona case is underway, and further details are awaited.
