the ordeal of a girl raped for weeks by several men

Seventeen men suspected of raping an 11-year-old girl for weeks were arrested in southern India, local police said on Tuesday, a resounding case of badual violence in the country. The minor, who suffers from hearing problems, was reportedly badually badaulted in a largely desert residential complex in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu State (south). Among those arrested were security guards from the 300-unit apartment complex, a plumber and an elevator steward, police reported.

Investigators say the 66-year-old elevator was the first to pick on the girl as she was coming home from school and cycling around the building. He would then have invited other men to follow him, who filmed themselves violating the child. The alleged torturers allegedly administered drugs and sedatives to the victim. "We are only at the beginning of the investigation and we have to go deeper to find out the details," a police officer from Chennai told AFP.

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According to local press reports, the suspects reportedly took the minor to various areas of the complex, such as the basement, the terrace, the gym and public toilets, to rape her. The girl eventually confided in her family, who seized the police.