44 rape suspects arrested

New case of sexual abuse of teenage girl shakes India

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From last year's protests in India, Photo: Reuters
From last year's protests in India, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala have arrested 44 men suspected of raping an 18-year-old girl over a five-year period, police said, in a case that has shocked the coastal tourist resort.

The victim, an athlete from a community known as Dalits, a so-called lower caste, told police that she was sexually assaulted by 62 people over a five-year period. Police have identified 58 suspects, some of whom are minors, and 44 have been arrested in the past two days, officials said.

"We have identified the remaining 14 and they will be arrested soon," PS Nandakumar, deputy superintendent of police in Pathanamthitta district, where the crimes were committed, told Reuters.

The case came to light after the girl told a story of gang rape to a volunteer during a gender awareness program. Nandakumar, who is leading the investigation, said details of how the crimes were committed were still being investigated.

In a statement to police, the victim said the abuse began when she was 13 years old, after a neighbor allegedly raped her. Local media reported that the four suspects were minors.

India recorded more than 2022 reported rape cases in 31.000, according to the latest available data, and conviction rates are very low. Last year, the rape and murder of a medical intern in the eastern city of Kolkata sparked outrage across the country, with protests and street marches calling for action against the accused.

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