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An eight-year-old girl has died in hospital after being gang-raped by 16 male relatives.

The tragic schoolgirl died in an intensive care ward in Chennai, India, after being rushed to hospital by her worried parents.

She was taken to A&E after complaining of stomach pain before passing out in the bathroom.

Her worried parents broke down the bathroom door before driving her to hospital themselves.

Cops are waiting for the postmortem report before lodging g an official cause of death.

Her heartbroken stepdad told local media she was an intelligent child and wanted to be a police officer.

(Image: India Today Group/Getty Images)

Her 16 alleged attackers were arrested and remain in police custody.

India's poor record of dealing with sexual violence was highlighted in 2012 following the gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.

This led to huge protests and changes to the country's rape laws.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

In 2018, the government introduced the death penalty for those who rape children amid an uproar over two high-profile cases – the rape and murder of an eight-year-old, and the rape of a 16-year-old.

According to India's latest crime figures, every fourth rape victim is a child. In 94% of rape cases the victims also know the perpetrators.

In December Indian filmmaker Daniel Shravan sparked anger across the globe with a Facebook rant about rape.

In a now-deleted post he wrote: “The society as well as the government is frightening rapists. This is not the way. The girls above the age of 18 should be educated about rape.

“The girls should never deny sexual desires of men. Especially Indian girls should be aware of sex education like carrying condoms and dental dams after the age of 18.

“The rapists are not finding a way to fulfil their bodily desires and therefore, they get these killing thoughts. An evil thought provokes crime like murder. Better women should accept rape and not fight it.”