Minor Girl Kills Self After Being Teased, Harassed On Her Way To College

A 17-year-old girl in India reportedly killed herself after being teased and harassed by some youths in her village.

According to the police, the minor girl, identified only as Radhika, a junior student at the Government Jr College in Hosadurga, Karnataka, India was teased and harassed by four miscreants.

They held her hand and made obscene comments while she was on her way to college and during her walk back home, local media reported.

Unable to bear the repeated harassment, the teen allegedly hanged herself to death at her home on Sunday, Dec. 19, police said.

"When she was first teased, village heads solved the issue with the girl’s parents and youths’ parents a few months back, but youths did not mend their ways and continued to harass the girl, which finally drove her to end her life," the Times of India quoted a police official as saying.

Following the death, the teen girl’s family staged a protest outside the police station until Monday night. The protest was withdrawn after the police assured to serve them justice.

"Our initial reports suggested that the girl faced harassment by eve-teasers. But we are investigating this case to find out the exact reason for her death," Chitradurga Superintendent of Police G Radhika told the news outlet.

"We have now kept a strict vigil on all schools and colleges in each taluk by increasing police patrolling. We have also asked schools and colleges for help to get information of teasers who are harassing their students," she said.

The officer added that the police have begun "educating people about 112 emergency services by visiting each village".

"Besides, our women police squad, Obbavva, will be deputed at schools and colleges to curb eve-teasers."

The four suspects, Mudappappa, Sudipa, Kotidurgappa, and Thippeswamy have been charged with harassment.

A manhunt has been initiated to locate the miscreants. "We will soon arrest them," the officer said.

A similar incident was reported from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where a 17-year-old girl killed herself after leaving a suicide note that reportedly said "a girl is safe only in the mother's womb or grave".

The minor was found dead at her home by her mother on Saturday, Dec. 10. The girl mentioned in her suicide note that she was unable to focus on studies or sleep well due to the "mental torture even in her dreams".

"Every parent should teach their kids and sons (to treat) girls with respect," she wrote.

On Monday, Dec. 20, the police arrested 21-year-old Vicky alias Vignesh who was a senior of the victim at the same school.

"The boy has confessed to a physical relationship with the minor girl. In the last two weeks, he had been harassing and torturing her. We have located filthy messages and the exchange of photographs. They had a good friendly relationship for eight months before all this," a police official was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The accused has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.