Team Herald
PANJIM: The Quepem police arrested a 55-year-old man, Xavier Caitan Morais, for allegedly raping a minor girl and her mother multiple times over the past three years. According to the police, the duo had endured constant harassment, blackmail and death threats from Morais since 2021, and finally approached the police when the 15-year-old survivor insisted that enough was enough.
According to the statement of the minor girl, she was first raped by Morais in April 2021 while returning from tuition in the evening. Her mother had made arrangements for the girl to be picked up and dropped off from school to tuition and home, but the accused, Morais, had offered to take on the responsibility instead.
The teenager told the police that the accused had taken her in his van to an isolated place, tied her hands and legs, and taped her mouth after forcibly undressing her. Before raping her, the accused photographed and recorded videos of her naked in the van. She recounted to the police that she tried to escape and scream for help, but no one came as the van was in the bushes, in an isolated area.
She decided to file a complaint when Morais continued stalking her up to her college on September 14 this year and blackmailed her via text message. Morais allegedly threatened to print her nude pictures and paste them all over her college premises if
she did not meet him and fulfil his wishes.
Following this incident, the victim stopped attending college and confided in a close relative, which led to the filing of the complaint.
According to police sources, the mother did not report their hellish ordeal because she feared societal shame, and was afraid that Morais would circulate their photographs.
Police said that over 1,000 pages of chats have been recovered from just one year, comprising threats, compliments and attempts to lure the teenager.
Morais has been arrested under Sections 376 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code (for rape), Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, and Section 78 of the BNS.
Auda Viegas, President of NGO Bailancho Ekvott said, “Societal change begins at home, and parents play a crucial role in safeguarding their children. We must collectively challenge the stigma surrounding these issues and ensure that no child suffers in silence.”
“By prioritising education, awareness, and support systems, we can work towards a future where such incidents are not just reported, but prevented. It is a shared responsibility to protect our children and create a society that stands firmly against any form of abuse,” Viegas said.
Tara Kerkar, President of NGO Savera expressed shock at the exposure of such a dastardly crime in rural Goa. She said, “One should speak out against any kind of abuse toward women, and parents should not suppress their children. The government cannot always be blamed. As parents, you have a special responsibility to protect your child from any abuse.”