An eight-year-old girl who was raped by 16 men, including some of her relatives, was killed in India.
The girl’s parents reportedly broke the bathroom door in a home in Tamil Nadu after she passed out following complaints of stomach pain. She was taken to hospital but her death was tragically announced, according to local media. Police are awaiting an autopsy to determine the cause of her death, but a case has been filed under Article 174 (unnatural death) of the Indian Penal Code.
Sixteen men were reportedly arrested after the girl’s mother went to the police alleging that up to 16 male relatives had raped her child over a three-year period. Her 10-year-old sister was allegedly raped during this period as well. Parents alerted the officers after noticing behavioral changes in their daughters, who would not allow people to touch them. They also suffered from random sleep disturbance, fear and sudden tremors. The girl’s mother’s husband told local media that she is smart and wants to become a police officer.
Anyone convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 will be sentenced to death in India after the government passes a bill. The change came amid nationwide protests over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.
