Indians protest child’s rape and murder

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Indians hold placards protesting against the alleged gang rape and killing of a Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh state, in Gauhati, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Associated Press/Photo by Anupam Nath

Hundreds of demonstrators crowded the streets of Delhi for the fourth straight day Wednesday, waving flags and placards demanding justice. The 9-year-old girl went to a crematorium near her home in Delhi to fetch water on Sunday when she was raped and murdered, according to a statement from her mother. The crematorium’s Hindu priest told the mother her daughter was electrocuted and convinced her to cremate the body. The family belongs to the Dalit community, one of India’s lowest castes.

Any official response? Authorities have detained the Hindu priest and three employees on suspicion of gang rape, murder, and criminal intimidation. The case has drawn comments from Indian celebrities and regional leaders demanding a judicial review from the ruling administration. Nearly 90 rapes were reported every day in India in 2019, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Activists believe the actual number is much higher since many cases go unreported.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archive, read my World Tour report on the 2018 assault of an 8-year-old girl.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks