New Delhi: Nearly a month after she was attacked with a stationery cutter blade and left with over 40 stitches, a 16-year-old class XII student from Rohini remains bedridden and too terrified to return to school. Her attackers, her father alleges, still roam freely, often seen outside the school gates and near their home, making him fear for his daughter’s safety.According to the FIR, the victim was returning home from school on Sept 9 in Rohini, when she was confronted by a group of girls she knew. One of them approached her under the pretext of talking. As she responded, another suddenly attacked her with a sharp object, striking multiple times on her face and upper body. The others surrounded her, held her down and joined in the assault. The girl sustained deep wounds on her face, left shoulder and upper back. A relative rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she received urgent medical care. The FIR also mentions that the victim had previously faced verbal abuse and harassment from some of the girls from the group. Speaking to TOI, the girl’s 36-year-old father said the family has been trying to cope with the incident. “We have been struggling — financially, physically, and emotionally. She can’t go anywhere because of her injuries and fear. We keep spotting the girls who attacked her near the school or where we live because they live in the same neighbourhood. She can’t even rest properly or sleep on her back because of the deep wound. The doctors have told us her condition will remain like this for the next six to eight months. Only after that can they consider surgery for her face, for the scars.” He described how fear has consumed their daily lives. “Only after many days did she agree to go to school after I convinced her that I would be there waiting as she wrote her exams. But I also have to work, so I can’t sustain our family like this.” An AC mechanic by profession, he is the family’s sole breadwinner now. His wife, who worked as a domestic worker, has had to leave her job to care for their recovering daughter. The financial stress, he said, is mounting. The father said his once-confident daughter has been left completely shaken. “She aspired to be a teacher and was studying so hard for it. Now she’s too scared to even step outside. I can’t do anything to change this, nothing will change unless some action is taken,” he said. A senior police officer said, “After the incident, the accused group of girls were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board for further proceedings. They were later handed over to the parents by the board.”
