Share

Indian girl set on fire for resisting molestation

Lucknow - A teenage girl has died in northern India one week after a gang of men set her on fire as punishment for resisting their attempts to molest her, police said on Wednesday.

The horrific incident is the latest in India where sex attacks on women continue to occur on an almost daily basis despite an international outcry over the fatal gang-rape of a student in 2012.

In the latest case, police have arrested four men over the attack which occurred after the 15-year-old girl stepped outside her home in Uttar Pradesh state on 16 November.

The girl's family has told police that six men dragged her back inside the house after she objected to their lewd gestures and attempts to touch her, local superintendent RK Sahu said.

The men then doused her in kersosene and set her on fire as punishment in Shahjahanpur village, 277km southeast of New Delhi, according to the family.

The girl was taken to a local hospital but died of her injuries on Sunday night, the officer said.

"Four of the six accused have been arrested. All of them belong to the same village and are of the same caste as that of the girl," Sahu said.

Police are hunting for the other two accused.

India has faced intense scrutiny in recent years in the wake of a series of high-profile rapes that have unleashed a wave of public anger against its violent treatment of women.

The fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in Delhi in December 2012 sparked massive street protests and led to tougher laws for sexual offenders. But rapes routinely continue to hit the headlines across the country.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 397 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 559 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE