In a shocking and tragic incident that has been reported from Chennai, an 8-year-old child, who was raped by 16 men, including her relatives, over a period of 3 years, passed away on Thursday.

The victim's mother had reportedly filed a complaint in July 2019 that her daughter was being molested by several men, including her uncles, since 2017. On Thursday, the girl allegedly complained of a stomach ache and went inside the toilet at 9.40 pm and then again at 10.10 pm. When she stayed inside for a long time and did not respond to her mother's calls, the latter broke in to find her daughter lying on the floor in an unconscious state. She was immediately rushed to a hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

A case has now been registered under Section 174 (unnatural death). Meanwhile, the victim's body has been sent for a post-mortem and the police have begun a formal investigation. Further updates are awaited.