10-year-old girl fighting for her life after being brutally raped, beaten with stones, and buried alive

The young victim had stepped out to buy chocolate from a local shop and her family grew worried when she didn't return

UPDATED FEB 5, 2020

A ten-year-old girl who was brutally raped, beaten with stones, and buried alive is fighting for her life in India.

The attack took place in the state of Rajasthan in northern India on Monday night. The child is in serious condition, per authorities. According to The Times of India, the young victim wanted to buy chocolate from a local shop and left her family residence at around 9:30 pm. When she failed to return home, her parents grew concerned and alerted the authorities.

A protester chants slogans as she braces herself against the spray fired from police water canons during a protest against the Indian government's reaction to recent rape incidents in India, in front of India Gate on December 23, 2012, in New Delhi, India. (Getty Images)

An unemployed youth living in her neighborhood reportedly lured the child into an abandoned house nearby, police later revealed. Once inside, the youth raped her and brutally beat her up with stones on her head. He then tried to bury her alive, police said.

At around 10:30 pm, authorities found the girl unconscious and bleeding from the head. They immediately rushed her to Churu district hospital, where she is being treated for life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. Police were able to track and arrest a 21-year-old suspect who lives in the vicinity.

"When the girl had gone to buy chocolates, the accused lured the minor to an abandoned house and raped her," said police officer Vishnu Dutt.

In recent weeks, the debate over sexual violence in India has been revived after a series of disturbing cases over the past year. In late November, authorities found the burned body of a 27-year-old veterinarian who was raped in Hyderabad in southern India.

State police, at the time, shocked the world by fatally shooting four suspects who were being held for raping and killing the woman -- but were yet to be charged.

Nonetheless, it drew praise from several observers who were frustrated by the slow pace of the 2012 New Delhi case, which saw a 23-year-old girl gang-raped by six men before being penetrated with an iron rod. The ruthless attack inspired weeks of angry demonstrations and highlighted the alarming rates of sexual violence against women in the country.