A 5-year-old girl is fighting for her life at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior after being raped by her teenaged neighbour. The incident, which occurred on February 22 in Shivpuri district, has left the child with catastrophic injuries, including severe internal trauma, bite marks, head wounds and 28 stitches to her genitalia. The girl was reported missing by her family on the evening of February 22 and discovered nearly two hours later, unconscious and bleeding on the terrace of an abandoned house. According to the police, a 17- year-old neighbour, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, lured the child away before assaulting her. Union Minister and local MP Jyotiraditya Scindia condemned the attack on social media, vowing to ensure the \”strictest action under the law\” Under India’s Juvenile Justice Act, individuals aged 16-18 can be tried as adults for heinous crimes, a provision the victim’s family insists must apply as well.
