KARACHI: Police and doctors on Tuesday said that a six-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother, whose bodies were recovered along with their mother’s from a drain near their home in Mauripur on June 29, were subjected to a sexual assault before being strangled.

The bodies of a missing 25-year-old woman, her six-year-old daughter and two-year old son were found in a drain close to their home in Sher Muhammad Village within the jurisdiction of Mauripur police on Saturday, June 29.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn on Tuesday that the post-mortem examination ‘confirmed’ that both the minor girl and her brother were raped, adding that the girl was subjected to a ‘brutal’ sexual assault.

She said that they had not ruled out the possibility of rape with their mother till the receipt of chemical reports, etc.

Regarding the possible cause of their death, the police surgeon said it was not their natural death but the exact cause of death had been reserved till receipts of reports.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn their initial findings also suggested that the victims were sexually assaulted and killed before being dumped in the drain.

He said that the Mauripur police had registered a murder case against unknown persons on the complaint of the deceased woman’s husband and were waiting for the final report of the doctors.

The complainant told the police that his wife and two children went out of the home to meet Mehran Bibi for ‘religious and spiritual treatment’ on June 28 but disappeared for more than 24 hours and found dead inside a drain.

However, the DIG said the couple had been married for seven years but it appeared that the woman’s husband was not ‘interested’ in pursuing the murder case of his wife and children seriously.

It seemed that he was ‘aware’ of something but was hiding it from the investigators. Thus, the police were interrogating him, his cousin and other relatives to get clues about the real culprits but so far, no one had been formally arrested.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.