Outrage in Lebanon after girl, 6, dies following 'sexual assault'

A young girl has died after being sexually assaulted in north Lebanon earlier this week in a crime that shocked the crisis-hit country.

The six-year-old was staying at her maternal grandparents' house in the Minieh district after her parents had divorced, local reports said.

Her mother reportedly took her to the hospital for a check-up after her temperature began to rise before returning home with her, despite the doctor reportedly requesting that the girl stays in the hospital.  

The next day, the girl was found dead at her grandparents' house.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the Public Prosecution office in northern Lebanon had sent two forensic doctors to conduct a medical examination and other necessary examinations to draw up a report detailing the child's health condition that led to her death.

A forensic doctor's report indicated bruises on the child's face and swelling of her lips and confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. Her father's family filed a lawsuit against her mother's family.

The girl was laid to rest on Sunday in her village of Sfaynet al-Qayteh in the northern Akkar district.

#لين_طالب طفلة صغيرة،عمرها ٦ سنوات، ماتت وبس كشف عليها طبيبين شرعيين اثبتو حالة الاعتداء عليها.
لين لما وصلت عالمستشفى كانت مصابة بفقر دم حاد نتيجة النزيف لانو تم اعتداء جنسي عليها متكرر.
لين كانت عند بيت جدها لانو اهلها انفصلو.
لهون وصل الاجرام! pic.twitter.com/ebhuGVZVOr

— أماني جحا (@amanie_geha) July 1, 2023

Translation: "Lynn Talib is a young girl aged 6 years old. When she was examined following her death by two forensic doctors they found she had been [sexually] assaulted. When Lynn had gone to hospital they found she had serious anemia as a result of being repeatedly raped. Lynn was at her grandparents' house because her parents split up. This is where it has go to! "

Lebanon's health ministry said it was also taking part in the investigations and would provide relevant authorities with anything they needed.

It is not clear if any arrests have yet been made.

Lebanese flooded social media with condemnations, expressing both their sorrow and anger with what happened to the girl.

Some called for bringing back capital punishment, with others saying the rapist should be given a merciless punishment until death to become a lesson to others.

While capital punishment is still a legal penalty in Lebanon, no executions were carried out since 2004.