Girl, 5, fighting to survive after brutal rape
Source: AFP |
April 20, 2013, Saturday
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A five-year-old Indian girl was fighting for her life yesterday after being kidnapped and brutally raped.
The girl was attacked inside a locked room over a 48-hour period, police said, after being abducted as she played outside on Monday in a lower-middle class area of the capital New Delhi.
"We initially registered a case of kidnapping. We have now launched a preliminary inquiry into rape and attempted murder," a police spokesman said, adding that a hunt was under way for a neighbor.
The child was admitted to the intensive care unit of a city hospital on Wednesday. Doctors say her condition is critical.
"The girl was traumatized when she was brought to us. There were injuries to her lips, cheeks and chest wall. There were bruises on her neck," R.N. Bansal, the hospital's medical superintendent said.
The injuries to her neck suggested the attacker may have tried to strangle her and left her to die, he said.
Doctors said the girl's genital area had been mutilated and objects had been inserted, causing serious internal injuries and infection.
"We are keeping her under constant observation. The next few hours are going to be very critical," Bansal said.
The girl was found after a passer-by heard her crying and alerted police.
Her parents, who had reported her missing, accused the police of being insensitive in their investigation. "They were reluctant to register our complaint. Then the police asked us to be content with the fact she was at least found alive," the girl's father said.
Scores of protesters gathered outside the girl's hospital yesterday, shouting abuse at police.
Women's rights activists condemned the attack, saying the girl's injuries were shocking.
"This incident shows what kind of brutes do we have in society. Society is also responsible for this. It has become full of perverts," said Ranjana Kumari of the Delhi-based Center for Social Research.
There's a growing debate over the status of women and girls and their safety in a country rocked by the brutal gang-rape of a student in Delhi last year.
The woman succumbed to her injuries 13 days after the assault in which her attackers drove an iron rod inside her, damaging her internal organs.
The girl was attacked inside a locked room over a 48-hour period, police said, after being abducted as she played outside on Monday in a lower-middle class area of the capital New Delhi.
"We initially registered a case of kidnapping. We have now launched a preliminary inquiry into rape and attempted murder," a police spokesman said, adding that a hunt was under way for a neighbor.
The child was admitted to the intensive care unit of a city hospital on Wednesday. Doctors say her condition is critical.
"The girl was traumatized when she was brought to us. There were injuries to her lips, cheeks and chest wall. There were bruises on her neck," R.N. Bansal, the hospital's medical superintendent said.
The injuries to her neck suggested the attacker may have tried to strangle her and left her to die, he said.
Doctors said the girl's genital area had been mutilated and objects had been inserted, causing serious internal injuries and infection.
"We are keeping her under constant observation. The next few hours are going to be very critical," Bansal said.
The girl was found after a passer-by heard her crying and alerted police.
Her parents, who had reported her missing, accused the police of being insensitive in their investigation. "They were reluctant to register our complaint. Then the police asked us to be content with the fact she was at least found alive," the girl's father said.
Scores of protesters gathered outside the girl's hospital yesterday, shouting abuse at police.
Women's rights activists condemned the attack, saying the girl's injuries were shocking.
"This incident shows what kind of brutes do we have in society. Society is also responsible for this. It has become full of perverts," said Ranjana Kumari of the Delhi-based Center for Social Research.
There's a growing debate over the status of women and girls and their safety in a country rocked by the brutal gang-rape of a student in Delhi last year.
The woman succumbed to her injuries 13 days after the assault in which her attackers drove an iron rod inside her, damaging her internal organs.
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