A man has been charged after a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the premises of the US embassy in Delhi.

The 25-year-old was arrested at the high-security mission in the Indian capital on Sunday after the girl’s family complained of the sexual assault, which allegedly took place on Saturday at the living quarters for local housekeeping staff , the investigating officer, Yogesh Kumar, told AFP on Thursday.

Kumar said preliminary medical tests confirmed the girl had been raped. The man was charged under child rape laws, which carry the death penalty.

The sprawling diplomatic compound is one of the most secure in Delhi, with multiple layers of manned and electronic security.

India is struggling to combat a growing number of reported sexual assault cases across the country. Violence against women has been under scrutiny after the brutal gang-rape and murder of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012.

Almost 34,000 rapes were reported in 2018, according to official data, with activists claiming it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Experts said most child victims were known to their abusers, with their families frequently choosing not to report the crimes to authorities, often because of social taboos against speaking out.