A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl on the premises of the US embassy in the Indian capital, Delhi.<\/p>\n
The man was arrested on Sunday after the child’s parents registered a police complaint, police told PTI news agency.<\/p>\n
The girl, who was assaulted on Saturday morning, is in a stable condition. Doctors have confirmed she was raped.<\/p>\n
Her family lives on the grounds of the embassy, where her father works as a member of the housekeeping staff.<\/p>\n
Police said the accused, a driver, is not employed by the embassy. However, he lives with his parents in the embassy’s staff quarters as his father works there.<\/p>\n
The US embassy is located in Chanakyapuri, a smart diplomatic enclave in central Delhi which is home to several embassies and high commissions.<\/p>\n
The heavily-guarded compound is spread over 28 acres and employs local staff.<\/p>\n
The families of the accused and the victim knew each other well, according to investigators, who told the\u00a0Hindustan Times newspaper<\/a>\u00a0that he “lured” the girl to his house when he saw her playing outside. His parents were away at the time of the attack.<\/p>\n When the girl returned home, she told her mother what had happened. She was immediately taken to hospital, where, police said, doctors confirmed that she had been raped.<\/p>\n Police said the man is being investigated under India’s stringent child protection laws.<\/p>\n 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 eight-year-old, and the rape of a 16-year-old.<\/p>\n According to India’s latest crime figures, every fourth rape victim is a child. In an overwhelming number of rape cases – 94% – the victims know the perpetrators.<\/p>\n 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 changes to the country’s rape laws.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"