UN Chief condemns Kathua rape

United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres has condemned the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district and has expressed hope of perpetrators being punished.

"I think we've seen the media reports of this horrific case, of the abuse and the murder of a young girl. We very much hope that the authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice so they can be held accountable for the murder of this young girl," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric told reporters at his daily press briefing.

The remarks of UN chief came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday finally broke his silence on the horrific Unnao and Kathua rape incidents and said that such incidents are "shameful and cannot be part of a civilised society".

Addressing the gathering during Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial inauguration ceremony here, the Prime Minister assured that justice will be served to the daughters of the country.

He further assured the countrymen that no culprit will be spared and complete justice will be done in both the cases.

The nation has been on the boil over Kathua gang rape where an eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed in January. The victim belonged to a nomadic Muslim tribe Bakarwal in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.

A special team of the Jammu and Kashmir crime branch has made a case of conspiracy, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, gang rape, murder and destruction of evidence against eight accused.