Thudiyalur: A 7-year-old girl who had gone missing while playing near her home, and whose body was recovered in the wee hours of the following morning, was sexually assaulted, confirms autopsy reports.

The autopsy report suggests that the girl was sexually assaulted, and police have now included sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 in their case file.

The FIR now includes Indian Penal Section 376A (Punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim) in addition to 5(l) (Whoever commits penetrative sexual assault on the child more than once or repeatedly), 5(m) (Whoever commits penetrative sexual assault on a child below twelve years) and 6(Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.

Parents of the child spoke to media in Tamil Nadu and said they suspected four people who lived near their house.

 “They would often call out to her and try to speak with her when she’d be playing outside,” parents said in between sobs.

They also demanded strict action against the perpetrators and refused to take the mortal remains of the child after the autopsy.

The police then had to assure the parents with a video of the four accused in custody, following which they accepted the child’s body for final rites.

Several protesters took to the streets to demand speedy action against the perpetrators.

Two days ago, a child had gone missing from Coimbatore’s Thudiyalur. Parents looked for the child in vain and decided to file a complaint with the local police.

The child’s body was then found at a street with her mouth gagged by a cloth.