A 25-year-old man arrested for allegedly raped a 5 year old girl after the child’s parents registered a police complaint. Incident occurs on the premises of the US embassy in the Indian capital, Delhi. The girl, who was assaulted on Saturday morning, is in a stable condition. Doctors have confirmed she was raped. Her family lives in the premises of the embassy, where allegedly raped girl’s father works as a member of the janitorial staff.
According to the Delhi Police the accused is a driver and not employed by the US embassy. However, he lives with his parents in the staff quarters as his father works in US embassy. The US embassy is located in Chanakyapuri, a smart diplomatic enclave in central Delhi which is home to several embassies and high commissions. The heavily-guarded compound is spread over 28 acres and employs local staff. The families of the accused and the victim knew each other well, according to investigators, that he “lured” the girl to his house when he saw she play outside. His parents were away at the time of the attack. When the girl returned home, she told her mother what had happened. She was immediately taken to hospital, where, police and doctors confirmed that she had been raped. Police said the man is being investigated under India’s uncompromising child protection laws.
In 2018, the government introduced the death penalty for those who rape children amid an uproar over two high-profile cases – the rape and murder of an 8 year old, and the rape of a 16 year old. According to India’s latest crime figures, every fourth rape victim is a child. In an outrageous number of rape cases 94% the victims know the perpetrators. India’s poor record of dealing with sexual violence came to the fore after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This led to huge protests and brings changes to the country’s rape laws. In November, the gang rape and murder of a 27-year-old vet in the southern city of Hyderabad also made global headlines and sparked protests.
