Jails have better facilities than shelter homes, says NCW chairperson, meets Bettiah gang rape victim

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma, who is in Bihar to take stock of the probe in Bettiah gangrape case, has said that jails in the country have better facilities than shelter homes and correctional centres.

"I had come here to take stock of the investigation in Bettiah rape case. I have come to realize that the shelter homes and corrections centres in the country are in bad condition. Even jails have better facilities," Rekha Sharma said addressing a press conference here.

Sharing details of her visit, the NCW chairperson said that she met with the victim as well as the superintendent of police (SP) overseeing the case and the Director-General of Police (DGP) earlier today.

"The victim is claiming that she is above the age of 18 years while the medical test reveals that she is 15. Her Aadhaar card says she is 11. She has also been married for over a year, which means child marriage is still taking place in the state. She also has had an abortion," Sharma said.

She slammed the administration and government over the "massive mismanagement" in the state.

"The victim did not even receive any counselling after she was relocated from the shelter home in Muzaffarpur. Now she is being moved back with his father and the administration will take care of her education, security and counselling," she said.

Sharma also lauded the police for "taking appropriate actions" after the incident came to light while also stressing that "these incidents need to be prevented in the first place".

"I will ask the police to allot police security to other girls from the shelter-home as well," she added.

The girl was allegedly gang-raped in a moving car in Bihar's Bettiah on Friday, following which police have arrested all four accused.

She belongs to the same shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, where over 44 girls were earlier allegedly sexually abused. The issue had come to light after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) conducted a social audit there.

( With inputs from ANI )