Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Amanda Erickson.
The girl lived with her parents in a gated community. According to police, she was first assaulted in January by a 66-year-old elevator operator who allegedly attacked her one afternoon as she was riding around the swanky residential complex on her bicycle.
Police say he invited other employees at the complex — including men who operated the elevators, brought water coolers to apartments and greeted guests at the front desk — to join in and film the assault.
According to court documents, the men repeatedly kidnapped the girl over several months, taking her to empty apartments in the complex. They allegedly forced her to take sedatives, then tied a belt around her neck. She was then made to watch obscene videos as the men took turns raping her, the documents allege. The men ranged in age from 23 to 66. Some local news reports said the girl has a hearing disability.
For months, the girl’s parents assumed she was out playing. But last week, her sister noticed strange marks on her body and brought it to the parents’ attention.
When the news of the girl’s assault broke this week, residents of the community where she lives promptly fired all remaining staff members. Women volunteered to work as guards in the community. Some called for the men to be hanged.
On Tuesday, as the suspects appeared in court, a group of lawyers thrashed the men and ultimately refused to represent them.
#WATCH: Dramatic visuals from Mahila Court in Chennai where lawyers thrash the 18 accused, who sexually harassed an 11-year-old girl for over a period of 7 months. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/8ASDOlm7gW
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018
“We have decided not to represent these characters,” G. Mohana Krishnan, the president of the Chennai high court lawyers’ association, told the Guardian. “After seeing the entire incident and also the condition of the victim, we have said we will not appear for the accused.”
“None of us will change our minds, and if anyone does, we will oppose them,” he added.
