Indian girl, 5, allegedly raped at US embassy in New Delhi: reports

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A 5-year-old Indian girl was allegedly raped on the grounds of a U.S. embassy in the capital city of New Delhi, officials said.

The child, whose father is a housekeeper employed at the embassy, was alone playing outside Saturday morning when her neighbor, the 25-year-old son of another embassy employee, allegedly lured her inside his family’s living quarters and raped her, local police told PTI news agency.

Both families live inside the heavily guarded, 28-acre U.S. embassy compound located in Chanakyapuri, a diplomatic enclave located in the city center, BBC reported. The girl’s mother reported the alleged assault at the Chanakyapuri police station Sunday. The child was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation. Doctors confirmed she had been raped, police said.

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"We were deeply disturbed by the alleged misconduct,” the U.S. embassy said in a statement. “We promptly took action when we were informed of the allegation, and brought this matter to the attention of the police. We are cooperating fully with them."

The U.S. embassy in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Priyanka Parashar /Mint via Getty Images)

The suspect was not employed by the U.S. embassy, according to BBC,  but his father is an embassy employee. He was living with his parents on embassy grounds and worked locally as a driver. The unidentified 25-year-old was arrested and is being held before trial.

The case is being investigated under India’s stringent child protection laws, police said.

The 2012 brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old university student aboard a public bus in New Delhi sparked nationwide protests and shed light on the country’s persistent violence against women. Following international attention about the case, India amended the law to lengthen the sentences for those convicted of sexual assault, introducing the death penalty for those convicted of sexually assaulting children under 12.

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A 2018 Thomas Reuters Foundation poll ranked India as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women.