Horror as girl, 9, gang-raped in a field by teenagers | World | News

Five boys aged between 10 and 14 have been arrested for the alleged rape of a 12 year old girl in a field in India. The alleged attack happened in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district of the country, according to local media.

Police officer Vidush Saxena told a local media outfit that the incident occurred on Friday. According to the victim’s mother, the five boys were playing near the fields on Friday when the girl joined them. After spending some time together, they allegedly led her into a nearby sugarcane field and gang-raped her before fleeing as the owner of a neighbouring field approached.

The girl later returned home distressed and told her mother what had allegedly happened.

Her mother went to the police the following day and filed a formal complaint.

A police spokesperson told reporters: “All five minors have been held and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board for further legal proceedings.”

The victim continues to be supported by professionals and is undergoing medical examinations.

The accused continue to be held by police and are being questioned in the presence of their legal guardians.

The five boys, reportedly aged between 10 and 14, could face up to three years in a juvenile rehabilitation home if found guilty.

Although the alleged attack would carry a potential life sentence or even the death penalty for an adult, Indian law bars children under 16 from being tried as adults, meaning the case must instead be handled by a Juvenile Justice Board.

The case was registered under India’s new criminal code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and legislation designed to protect members of historically disadvantaged castes.

The victim is understood to be a Dalit, a term used for communities that sit outside and historically below the four traditional tiers of the Hindu caste system.

Dalits were once treated as “untouchable” and, although caste discrimination is illegal in India, many still face prejudice, poverty and social exclusion.