9-Month-Old Baby Allegedly Raped By Neighbor, Found In A Pool Of Blood

A 9-month-old baby girl in India was allegedly raped by her neighbor after he took her to his house on the pretext of playing with her.

The incident took place in Bulandshahr, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Local media reports said Sunday the accused took the girl to his house where he sexually assaulted her. When the victim's family went to the accused's home, they found the baby girl lying in a pool of blood. The accused had absconded by then, Times Now reported.

The family members of the infant rushed her to a hospital and alerted the police, News Track reported [Google Translate showed]. The child was undergoing treatment at the local hospital and was said to be in a critical condition. A medical examination of the victim has also been conducted, the police said.

The police immediately launched an investigation into the alleged rape and detained three relatives of the accused. The detainees are being questioned about the whereabouts of the accused. The identity of the 19-year-old accused has not been revealed.

Residents of the area were angry following the incident and demanded justice for the child. Authorities said they were making all efforts possible to nab the accused.

Rape cases in India had doubled in the last 17 years, according to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau in December 2019. The report also stated the accused were known to the victims in 93.1 percent of cases reported in India in 2017. Violence against women has also seen a steep rise over the years, with many of the victims being minors.

In May, a 7-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death by her neighbor after he took the girl to a field while her parents were away. The incident took place in a village in the northern state of Haryana. When the girl's parents returned home they could not find her and launched a search for her. Her body was later found dumped in a pit. The accused was charged with rape and kidnapping under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.