Madhya Pradesh: A five-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh is in critical condition after being brutally raped and assaulted, police said. The attack, which occurred on February 22 in Shivpuri, left the child with severe injuries, including multiple bite marks and deep cuts. Doctors at the hospital, where the victim was admitted, confirmed she required 28 stitches in her private parts and underwent a colostomy surgery.

The accused, a 17-year-old neighbour, was arrested and is being tried as a juvenile, according to police. Authorities said he was intoxicated at the time of the assault and allegedly lured the child from her rooftop to an abandoned house before attacking her. 

Police stated that the accused repeatedly slammed the child’s head against a wall before subjecting her to brutal violence. In addition to head injuries, her body and private parts sustained multiple cuts, scratches, and bite marks.

The victim went missing on February 23 and was found nearly two hours later, unconscious and covered in blood, on a nearby terrace. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors stabilised her after a two-hour operation. While she has regained consciousness, she has not spoken since the assault.

The girl’s family has demanded the strictest punishment for the accused. The incident has sparked protests, with political leaders from both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling for a fast-track trial and the death penalty. A memorandum has been submitted to district authorities, demanding swift action.