Police in north-western Pakistan questioned several suspects on Friday after the rape and murder of a 2-year-old girl, in a case that has triggered outrage across the country.
The girl went missing from outside her family home in the town of Charsadda on Tuesday.
Her mutilated body was found on a mountain the following day, Local Police Chief Shohaib Khan said.
On Friday, a post mortem confirmed that the girl had been raped then stabbed to death, said police officer Bashir Khan, who is investigating the crime.
“We have arrested 15 people and are interrogating them. We are waiting for DNA test results from the victim and suspects,” Bashir said.
The latest incident in a series of child abuse cases has triggered an outcry among politicians, lawyers and civil society, who are demanding justice for the victim.
The incident comes weeks after a 6-year-old girl was raped and murdered by a teenage boy in the same region.
Pakistan passed a law allowing the death penalty for child sex offenders in March, two years after the rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl led to outrage and a nationwide debate.
But the new law has done little to prevent sex crimes against children, according to Sahil, an NGO that addresses the issue.
Almost 1,500 children were raped during the first half of 2020, according to statistics compiled by Sahil.
