Mandsaur gangrape: 'The brutality this young child was subjected to sickens me'

Following a complaint by the victims' parents, she was found lying unconscious in bushes in the Laxman Darwaja area. Medical examination confirmed that she was sexually assaulted, they said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi. (Twitter account)

New Delhi: Congress President has condemned the gangrape against an 8-year-old girl in Mandsaur and said brutality on the little child has “sickened” him. He urged people to come together as a nation “to protect our children and bring the attackers to speedy justice.” The horrific gangrape against a small girl has sent shock-waves across the country and is also a grim reminder of the recent Kathua rape case. Massive protests have been held in Madhya Pradesh demanding death penalty to the accused.

In Mandsaur, MP, an 8-year-old girl was kidnapped and gang raped, and is battling for her life. The brutality this young child was subjected to sickens me. As a nation, we must come together to protect our children and bring the attackers to speedy justice.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 30, 2018

On Friday, one more person was arrested in connection with the abduction and rape of an eight-year-old girl here on June 26. Asif (24) was held from Madarpura locality of the Mandsaur, after Irfan alias Bhaiyu (20), arrested on Wednesday night, named him as his accomplice in the heinous crime, said additional superintendent of police S S Kanesh. Asif, a construction worker, admitted to raping the girl, Kanesh added. He was booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Further investigation was on, the ASP was quoted by news agency PTI. Reports say the minor was kidnapped while she was waiting for her father outside her school on Tuesday. The accused slashed her throat after raping her and dumped her to die. Following a complaint by the victims' parents, she was found lying unconscious in bushes in the Laxman Darwaja area. Medical examination confirmed that she was sexually assaulted, they said. Doctors on Thursday said that she was undergoing treatment and was out of danger, PTI reported. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan condemned the incident and said that rapists were a "burden on the earth" and did not deserve to live. Several Muslim women have demanded capital punishment for the accused and have said that thr accused should not be given space for burial in the cremation ground.