27 April 2026 By Kan Htun
SITTWE, Myanmar — A series of horrific sexual assaults targeting young children has sparked a wave of public anger and calls for judicial transparency in northern Rakhine State, as local communities demand justice from the regional administrative authorities.
Reports from local sources confirm two separate, devastating incidents in Mrauk-U and Maungdaw townships, resulting in the death of one infant and leaving another young girl severely traumatised.
In Mrauk-U’s Pauk Pin Kwin village, an 80-year-old man was detained on 22 April for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl after luring her to his home. The suspect is currently being interrogated by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS), the judicial arm of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government.
Meanwhile, a more harrowing case has emerged from Aung Thukha village in Maungdaw. On 16 March, a 17-year-old youth allegedly raped and murdered a girl aged just two years and five months. The suspect’s mother was also detained for reportedly assisting in an attempt to hide the child’s body.
Public resentment boiled over in mid-April following the temporary release of the suspect’s mother. Villagers in Aung Thukha launched a campaign demanding her re-arrest, insisting that her role in concealing the crime makes her equally culpable.
“The mother was involved in hiding the body; she should not be walking free,” a local resident told MPA. “Her release has caused significant friction in the village. We want the authorities to handle this correctly and ensure the family of the victim gets justice.”
The recent cases follow a disturbing trend of gender-based violence in the region. In March 2026, a 56-year-old teacher in Mrauk-U was accused of attempting to sexually abuse four KG-level students. Human rights monitors note that the breakdown of formal legal systems amid the ongoing civil war has made children increasingly vulnerable to such predators.
The Arakan authorities (DLEPS) have previously stated that child rape is a capital offence, punishable by life imprisonment or sentences of at least 20 years. However, with the revolutionary government still building its judicial infrastructure, many families fear that a lack of transparency could lead to lighter sentences for well-connected perpetrators.
As the legal proceedings continue in the shadows of the conflict, the people of Rakhine are looking to their new administrative leaders to prove that their legal system can offer protection to the most vulnerable—and that no crime against a child will go unpunished.
