Islamabad, Sept. 9, (dpa/GNA) – Police in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi have arrested dozens of suspects in connection with the rape and killing of a 5-year-old girl that has sparked outrage in the country.
“We have arrested and taken DNA samples of around 30 suspects,” police investigation officer Shahid Hussain told dpa on Tuesday.
The 5-year-old girl left her home on the morning of September 4 but never returned. Her body, wrapped in a piece of cloth, was found in a garbage dump in the same area.
Hussain said that the girl was raped before being killed, according to the post-mortem report.
The incident angered residents of the area, who took to the streets in protest, while others shared the girl’s pictures on social media to raise their voice and demand justice.
Last month, a 6-year-old girl was kidnapped and killed in Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtukhwa province.
In 2018, a similar case involving the rape and killing of a 7-year-old girl triggered nationwide protests and a global outcry.
According to the child rights organization Sahil, at least three cases of severe sexual violence, including rape and attempted rape, are reported by national newspapers in Pakistan every day.
GNA