Panaji: A three-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an unidentified person in a dilapidated building in Mapusa in North Goa, with police examining CCTV footage to identify and trace the accused, officials said on Monday.
The child was found crying outside the building near a taxi stand on Sunday evening. A passerby noticed her and rushed to help, following which locals alerted the police.
The girl was initially taken to Mapusa District Hospital in a critical condition and later shifted to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Panaji for further treatment. Her condition was stable, Superintendent of Police (North) Rahul Gupta said.
The girl's family sells balloons, and she had accompanied them to the Mapusa market for Diwali, a police official said.
Gupta, who visited the spot late Sunday evening, said efforts were underway to trace and arrest the accused. The Mapusa police have registered a case and are examining CCTV footage from the area.
Reacting to the incident, Goa Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar described it as unfortunate and called for stricter police enforcement to prevent such crimes.
Claiming that "90 per cent" of such crimes in the tourist state were committed by people from outside Goa, Tawadkar said the alleged perpetrator had a "demonic mentality". He, however, acknowledged that people could not be stopped from coming to the state in search of livelihood.
The minister also stressed the responsibility of parents in ensuring children's safety and called for collective efforts to protect minors.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress demanded an immediate arrest, a time-bound investigation and a trial in a fast-track court.
Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly Yuri Alemao urged the state government to ensure the child receives the best possible medical care, counselling and family support.
Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Alemao claimed Goa recorded 13 rape and child sexual abuse cases per lakh population in 2024, the highest among states and more than three times the national average.
He further claimed that more than 61 per cent of survivors were children, while the conviction rate in crimes against women stood at 9.4 per cent and over 91 per cent of cases remained pending.
Alemao called for more fast-track courts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, stronger policing and a time-bound action plan to protect minors.
