While vacationing in Maldives with her mother, a seven-year-old girl had the most terrible experience — the driver of a jet-ski ride sexually abused her while she was riding with him. However, her sufferings didn't end there. Short of time, as she couldn't undergo a medical examination in Maldives, her mother decided to get it done in Mumbai. Instead of ensuring a smooth process, Cooper Hospital allegedly made them run from one department to the other and refused to conduct the test without the presence of a woman constable, in complete violation of the POCSO Act, even though they had a complaint letter from the Maldives police. The hospital also didn't inform the local police about the case, which is mandatory.

It seems that despite consistent efforts of the government to educate hospital staffers about POCSO cases, they have failed to do so. Last Monday, the victim along with her 35-year-old mother, who earlier worked as a celebrity stylist, went to Maldives for a five-day vacation. The mother-daughter duo was having a fun holiday until last Friday when they decided to go for a jet-ski ride. As it was not possible for the two to ride a jet-ski together, the woman sent her daughter along with driver while she waited at the beach. When the girl returned, she looked very upset, which made her mother suspicious. On enquiring, she revealed that the driver molested her.

The woman said, "When she got off the jet-ski, she seemed very perplexed, which was unlike her. On asking her she said that the driver touched her private parts. Following this I filed a complaint with the Maldives police." As per the protocol, the victim was supposed to undergo a medical examination in Maldives but as they had to catch a flight to Mumbai the following morning, her mother decided to get the test done on returning. After reaching the city last Saturday morning, they rushed to Cooper Hospital for the examination but there they faced a different kind of harassment.