Indian girl, seven, is raped in school toilet sparking fresh protests and arrest of headmistress for negligence of duty



More than 150 people gathered at the school in Vasco da Gama, Goa



Girl was allegedly attacked in toilet next door to headmistress's office

Police searching for rapist, thought to be in his 20s

Hundreds of people surrounded a school in India to protest after a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the toilets next door to the headmistress's office.

The girl was attacked at Deepvihar high school, which also has a primary faculty, in the city of Vasco da Gama in Goa yesterday.



The incident is the latest in a series of horrific rape cases which have besieged India and caused widespread protests.

Protests: There has been widespread unrest in India since the brutal gang rape of a student on a bus who later died from her injuries

More than 150 people surrounded the school last night demanding the arrest of the headmistress and the rapist, who is thought to be in his 20s.

A police official said: 'The girl was raped inside the school toilet during recess'.

The headmistress was later arrested for negligence of duty.



'We will not spare the accused and anyone involved in this crime,' Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar added.



The attack in Goa comes after a 23-year-old student died after being brutally gang raped by five men on a bus in Delhi last month.

The victim and male friend had boarded the bus after going to watch a film before attacking the couple and taking it in turns to rape her.

She died two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.

Anger: A series of horrific rape cases in India have sparked demands for greater security for women

The case has thrown the international spotlight on sexual abuse in India and thousands have protested demanding greater protection for women and the death penalty for rape.



At the latest hearing today, one of the accused presented documents in a bid to prove he was a juvenile at the time of the attack.



If a judge rules in his favour he cannot be given the death penalty if convicted.

Yesterday, six men were arrested after another alleged gang rape of a woman on a bus in New Delhi.

The victim had been travelling to her in-laws hosue in Punjab on Friday when she was allegedly snatched and to a district bordering Amritsar, the Sikh holy city.

Five men joined the driver and conductor, who had taken her by motorbike to an unknown address, and took turns to rape the 29-year-old.