Six members of the armed forces have been arrested in El Salvador for the rape of a 13-year-old girl. A sergeant is accused of being the perpetrator and five soldiers are involved, the Central American country’s public prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
The girl was raped on Saturday on her way home from the beach with three friends in the Pacific coast town of Mizata. Another girl from the group was beaten and two other young people were threatened, residents report.
“We will act with all seriousness”
The defendants are accused of rape, false imprisonment, assault, battery and threats. They should pay dearly for the damage caused to the girl and her family, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado wrote on the online platform X, formerly Twitter. “We will prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of who they are.”
The military plays an important role in conservative President Nayib Bukele’s controversial fight against crime. The country with six million inhabitants has been in a state of emergency for a year and a half with restrictions on basic rights. More than 70,000 suspected gang members have been arrested. While investigations show that the president’s security policy can count on popular approval, activists denounce human rights violations.
Source: Krone
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