NEW DELHI — A 5-year-old girl was raped by a neighbor on the grounds of the United States Embassy in India’s capital, the police said on Thursday, reviving a debate about sexual violence against women and children in the country.

The 25-year-old son of a housekeeper at the embassy was detained in connection with the assault, which took place on Saturday in living quarters reserved for support staff, according to Pragya Anand, the assistant commissioner of police in Chanakyapuri, the capital’s diplomatic area.

The girl’s parents were away when the assault took place, officials said. The girl’s father worked in a support-staff role at the embassy, according to the police. The heavily fortified compound, one of the biggest American missions in the world, is topped with barbed wire and sits in one of New Delhi’s most secure neighborhoods.

Her parents filed a case against the man on Sunday, and he was taken into custody on charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses. The 2012 law introduced stricter punishment — including the death penalty — for those convicted of crimes against minors in India.