A six-year-old schoolgirl has allegedly been raped by two staff members at a prominent school in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, police say. What kind of mentality do you have to have to conspire with another person to rape a six year old?
The alleged assault happened on 2 July but her parents discovered it only a few days ago after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, hundreds of parents have protested outside the school, pulling down its gates and shouting slogans.
Police have registered a case, but they are yet to make any arrests.
The BBC's Andrew North in Delhi says it's the latest in a series of sexual assault cases that have made headlines in India.
Figures show more rapes are being reported in general, which is a sign that the crime is being taken more seriously, our correspondent reports. But India's sluggish judicial system means it can take years for victims to get justice. The reporter fails to mention that India has introduced a fast-track prosecution system for violent sex crimes.
New Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a zero tolerance approach on crimes against women, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched in society.
Indeed, and it will not change as a result of a few high-profile cases, but it is beginning to change. It will take at least one generation and maybe two or three before it is ingrained into the psyche of Indian men that violence against women is not only unacceptable but shameful.
The girl was allegedly raped by a security guard and a gym teacher, but as there are multiple guards and gym instructors in the school, police say they are trying to identify the guilty, BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi reports from Bangalore.
As news of the incident became public, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school, protesting against the alleged insensitivity of the school management.
"They have handled it very shoddily," said Vivek Sharma, parent of a boy studying in the school.
On Thursday, school chairman Rustom Kerawala addressed a meeting of the parents where he offered his "sincere apologies" and promised "full co-operation" with the police investigation.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.
The brutal crime led to massive outrage in the country and forced the government to introduce tougher anti-rape laws, including the death penalty in rare cases.
But the law appears to have failed to act as a deterrent. Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2013 show one rape was reported every 21 minutes. And those are only the reported ones. I'm sure not all rapes are being reported yet especially in rural villages.
God please expedite change in the minds and hearts of Indian men such that they may hold their girls and women in much higher regard. That they would learn to treasure them and find violence against them to be disgraceful and unacceptable. Amen?
The alleged assault happened on 2 July but her parents discovered it only a few days ago after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, hundreds of parents have protested outside the school, pulling down its gates and shouting slogans.
Police have registered a case, but they are yet to make any arrests.
The BBC's Andrew North in Delhi says it's the latest in a series of sexual assault cases that have made headlines in India.
Figures show more rapes are being reported in general, which is a sign that the crime is being taken more seriously, our correspondent reports. But India's sluggish judicial system means it can take years for victims to get justice. The reporter fails to mention that India has introduced a fast-track prosecution system for violent sex crimes.
New Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a zero tolerance approach on crimes against women, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched in society.
Indeed, and it will not change as a result of a few high-profile cases, but it is beginning to change. It will take at least one generation and maybe two or three before it is ingrained into the psyche of Indian men that violence against women is not only unacceptable but shameful.
The girl was allegedly raped by a security guard and a gym teacher, but as there are multiple guards and gym instructors in the school, police say they are trying to identify the guilty, BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi reports from Bangalore.
As news of the incident became public, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school, protesting against the alleged insensitivity of the school management.
"They have handled it very shoddily," said Vivek Sharma, parent of a boy studying in the school.
On Thursday, school chairman Rustom Kerawala addressed a meeting of the parents where he offered his "sincere apologies" and promised "full co-operation" with the police investigation.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.
The brutal crime led to massive outrage in the country and forced the government to introduce tougher anti-rape laws, including the death penalty in rare cases.
But the law appears to have failed to act as a deterrent. Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2013 show one rape was reported every 21 minutes. And those are only the reported ones. I'm sure not all rapes are being reported yet especially in rural villages.
God please expedite change in the minds and hearts of Indian men such that they may hold their girls and women in much higher regard. That they would learn to treasure them and find violence against them to be disgraceful and unacceptable. Amen?
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