10-year-old boy accused of raping 3-year-old cousin while playing with her

A10-year-old boy in India was accused of raping his 3-year-old cousin while playing with her, the police said Monday.

The girl's grandmother filed a complaint with the police, saying the toddler was playing with her cousin when he raped her Saturday. The police then registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POSCO) Act.

The girl's grandmother had visited the house of the accused before filing a police report, local media Live Hindustan reported. A scuffle broke out between the boy's mother and the victim's grandmother, following which the latter filed a sexual assault complaint.

The police said the medical examination of the girl has been conducted, and they are awaiting the results. The victim has been handed over to her family members after being presented before the Child Welfare Committee. The accused is also with his family members.

The victim's grandmother told the police that on the day of the incident, she was in a shed outside her house, giving water to her animals, when she heard her granddaughter screaming. The grandmother told the police she then caught the boy "misbehaving" with the girl.

The police were unable to say anything conclusive about the case, The Times of India reported. An investigation is currently underway into the alleged rape.

The identity of the victim was not revealed to protect her privacy, as per court directives on cases related to sexual assault.

Despite strict laws being imposed in the country, crimes against women have been on the rise. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 32,559 rapes in India in 2017, in which 93.1% of the accused were known to the victims. As many as 16,591 rape cases filed that year were against "family friends," neighbors or other known persons.

Earlier this month, a 5-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three minor boys in a secluded place near her home. The girl was playing outside her home when the boys dragged her away. The boys sexually assaulted the child and recorded the act. The incident took place in a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh.