Men need to change their mentality: Krishna Tirath

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Expressing shock over the brutal rape of the five-year-old girl, Union Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath Saturday emphasised on the need for men to "change their mentality".

"It is a shocking incident and the way this five-year-old girl was raped shows the sick mentality of men. There is a need to change this mentality," Tirath said.

Of the reported callousness of policemen to the kin of the victim, the minister said efforts are on to sensitise Delhi Police.

"I have spoken to the commissioner of Delhi Police and even the home minister has given strict instructions to him to ensure that complaints of people are addressed swiftly. There is a need to spread awareness among people and police," she said.

The girl was abducted April 15 and kept hostage for two days without food and water in a room in which the attacker lived, on the ground floor of the building in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar, in which the victim's family also stayed, police said.

The accused, ManojKumar, 25, was arrested from a village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district early Saturday, police said.

The girl, who was repeatedly raped, was rescued when members of her family heard her screams Wednesday, police said.