A 16-year-old girl has died in hospital after being allegedly gang-raped and brutally attacked in Firozabad, India. She was found semi-conscious in a field after being left by three men who believed she was already dead.
The postmortem confirmed sexual assault, a broken neck, a crushed jaw and fractured limbs. Police said one of the accused, who had known her for the past few months, lured her to a nearby field. When the victim resisted, the three men allegedly strangled her and crushed her limbs and jaw.
Arrests and charges
All three accused, aged 20, 21 and 28, and from the same neighbourhood, have been arrested. Two were held after a brief encounter on the night of November 1, and the third the next day. Police said they confessed during questioning.
A First Information Report (FIR) was initially filed for attempted murder, gang rape of a minor, abduction, and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST). Murder charges were added after her death, The New Indian Express reports.
Investigation and response
Firozabad SSP Aditya Langesh said the case would be pursued on priority under 'Operation Conviction' and that action would also be taken under the Gangsters Act. The family has been assured compensation.
The case comes amid widespread protests across Indian universities over the rape crisis. Hundreds of women walked from their university campus onto the streets of Delhi to speak out against sexual harassment, assault, and molestation. The protests in September came after a series of brutal rapes in Delhi, including the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old in a public park by three men impersonating police officers, The Guardian reports.
According to official data from India's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), approximately 31,000 to 32,000 registered rape cases are reported in India per year, translating to an average of about 86 reported cases per day.
