'Bludgeoned, brutalised, found in puddle of blood': 5-year-old raped in Madhya Pradesh, battles for life

BHOPAL: A five-year-old girl is fighting for her life after being raped, bludgeoned and brutalised in MP's Shivpuri district by a neighbour who is six months short of 18. She is in a Gwalior hospital ICU after undergoing intestinal and genital surgeries.She was found in a puddle of blood, with bite marks and injuries all over her body, five days ago. The rapist had banged her head against the wall repeatedly. When she was admitted, doctors were shaken by the extent of her injuries, and felt she had a very slim chance of survival. But the little one refused to give up.With her grit and doctors' care, her vitals were stabilised, but she needs further surgeries and is in very critical condition.The savage crime has triggered anger in the region. BJP and Congress members marched to the Shivpuri collectorate, along with hundreds of locals, to demand that the culprit be hanged.According to police, the accused lured the child from the terrace of her home to a nearby abandoned house on Feb 22. There, he subjected her to brutal sexual assault and battery for over two hours.Her family and neighbours began looking for her. The girl's younger brother and some other children saw the accused in the act and started screaming. He panicked and fled. She lay bleeding and unconscious.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)