Confirming reports of rape of a young Afghan girl in Khomeini Shahr
On Saturday, June 3, the head of Iran's Social Emergency Service confirmed reports of the rape of a young Afghan girl in Khomeinishahr, Isfahan.
The five-year-old girl was raped last week, and the incident was immediately reported on social media. The girl was named Bahareh in a report by the Shafaqna news website.
The report also quoted Afghan Voice News Agency as saying that officials at the Afghan embassy in Iran confirmed the incident and said that the police and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are investigating it.
However, Reza Jafari, the head of Iran's Social Emergency, gave more details about the incident in an interview with the ILNA news agency. Mr. Jafari said that "this child was kidnapped by three rapists last week while he was playing in front of his house, and his half-dead body was found in a ruin a few hours later."
He also stated that the child has been discharged from the hospital and is receiving psychosocial support through the social emergency service.
Reports indicate that the suspects have not yet been arrested, but Shafaqna writes, citing Bahareh's family, that Khomeini Shahr police officials have assured that they will seriously pursue the matter.
The news of the rape of the minor Bahareh was published at a time when Iranian society is still in shock over reports of sexual assaults on high school students in District 2 of Tehran.
Last Monday, videos were posted on social media showing the school's principal showing pornographic films to students.
In another video, the accused confesses to the families of the students that he sexually assaulted them. According to the Tehran prosecutor, the parents of 15 students have stated that the person “sexually assaulted” their children.
This incident also prompted a reaction from the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, who called it a "crime" and, in an order addressed to the head of the judiciary, called for the implementation of divine limits in relation to the convicted.
This request by Ali Khamenei comes at a time when he is facing criticism over the acquittal of Saeed Tusi, a Quran reciter accused of sexual assault.
The plaintiffs in the case of Saeed Toosi, a famous Quran reciter, have spoken of the role of Ali Moghadam, the communications officer for the office of the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, in issuing Mr. Toosi's "acquittal."
Psychological damage
On Saturday, IRNA news agency quoted officials from the country's Forensic Medicine Organization as saying that seven students from a high school in West Tehran suffered psychological trauma due to sexual assault.
Mehdi Saberi, head of the psychiatric examination department of the country's forensic medicine organization, said: "These students have suffered psychological trauma, and these traumas can be detected through psychiatric examinations. It is even possible that their families are not aware of these conditions, so the necessary medical and psychiatric interventions were recommended for them so that they do not experience further problems in the future."
According to him, the explanations of these students showed that they did not receive age-appropriate education regarding sexual issues, and therefore the things the defendant told them were attractive to them, aroused their curiosity and pleasure, and in this way they were exploited.
The incident has reignited the debate over UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda, part of which is about educating students about sex. Opposition from Ayatollah Khamenei and his supporters has led Iran to reject the document. Mr. Khamenei has described the document as a symbol of the Western lifestyle and has emphasized that the basis of life in Iran should be Islam.
Meanwhile, a member of Commission 90 of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has asked the families of these students to refer to this commission to complete the file.
Bahram Parsai told Borna News Agency: "This issue has been raised in the Article 90 Commission, and initial follow-ups and correspondence with the relevant agencies will be carried out immediately. Then, information will be collected and it will definitely be seriously investigated. According to the law, the Article 90 Commission's duty is to monitor the functioning of the three branches of government, and this incident is due to the incorrect functioning of the education system."
Previously, the Islamic Consultative Assembly's Education Committee had also announced that it had entered the case and asked the Minister of Education to come to the committee to provide explanations.
Source: Radio Farda
