Man charged with rape of 5-year-old girl at US Embassy in India

A man has been charged for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl near the U.S. Embassy in Delhi.

The man, 25, was arrested at the mission in the Indian Capital on Sunday after a family complained of sexual assault to their daughter. The assault allegedly took place at the living quarters of local housekeeping staff, investigating officer Yogesh Kumar told AFP on Thursday, according to The Guardian.

The man was charged under child rape laws after the initial medical tests allegedly verified the girl had been raped, according to Kumar. The charges carry the death penalty in Delhi.

The embassy in Delhi is one of the most secure in the city, with several levels of manned and automated security.

India has struggled to deal with a growing number of reported sexual assault cases across the country.

Continued protest of violence against women has been scrutinized more since the gang-rape and murder of a student on a bus around Delhi in 2012, according to the Guardian report.

Nearly 34,000 reported rapes happened in 2018, according to data reports.

The U.S. State Department has commented on the incident,  saying, “U.S. Embassy New Delhi was deeply disturbed to learn of allegations of a sexual assault of a child on the Embassy compound. “The Embassy took prompt action, including reporting the incident to the police and assisting the alleged victim obtain medical assistance,” according to a spokesperson. We are cooperating with the Indian-led investigation [and] extend our sympathy and full support to the child and her family.”