Was sexually assaulted by father when I was a child: DCW chief Swati Maliwal

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday said she was sexually assaulted by her father in her childhood and the trauma led her to fight for the rights of women.

Speaking to reporters after the DCW International Women's Day Awards ceremony in New Delhi, Maliwal faced abuse till the time she was in Class 4.

"I was sexually assaulted by my father when I was a child. I was very small at that time. My father used to beat me up and I used to hide under the bed to save myself," she said.

"While hiding under the bed, I used to think how I will teach a lesson to such men who abuse women and children, and how I can help women get their rights," she said.

Narrating her ordeal, Maliwal said that her father would grab her by her braid and slam her against the wall, leading to severe bleeding. "This happened till I was in Class 4," she recalled.

Recently, actor and National Commission for Women (NCW) member Khushbu Sundar said she was sexually abused by her father at the age of 8