Shillong, Nov 10: Police are investigating whether there was a sexual motive to the murder of a 4-year-old girl in September even though there was no obvious physical sign of sexual assault.
Briefing about the progress of the case, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem today informed that the 13-year-old boy suspected to have been involved in the homicide had been exposed to pornography and other adult content before the murder.
He clarified that while medical examinations ruled out sexual assault, investigators are probing whether the exposure to such content could have influenced the juvenile’s actions. “Though there is no sign of sexual assault on the child, we are exploring the possibility of a motive. That takes some time because we have incriminating evidence suggesting the child was exposed to a lot of adult material,” the SP explained.
Syiem also highlighted that the investigation was time-consuming as the accused is a minor and all procedures have to be conducted under the supervision of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
“Since it was already ascertained that the 13-year-old was involved, the process took longer. The accused could not be treated like a normal or adult criminal. The interrogation and examination were carried out only under the CWC’s monitoring, with counsellors present,” he said.
Syiem confirmed that the juvenile was the sole person present with the victim at the time of her death. “Initially, we had to establish whether the death was accidental or homicidal. After further examinations, it was confirmed that it was a case of homicide,” he stated.
The senior police officer reiterated that the police are now working to understand the underlying motive and will await the results of further forensic and psychological evaluations before finalising the next course of action.
The body of the 4-year-old girl was discovered near her home in Nongrah Nonglum on September 15. The child’s body was recovered from an under-construction house in the area. A rock had been placed on her body, weighing it down in a small rainwater pit.
