Pakistan police arrest 'prime suspect' in rape, murder of 7-year-old girl

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Police arrested the man they are calling a “prime suspect” in the rape and murder of 7-year-old Zainab Ansari. Some fear the young girl from Kasur, Pakistan may be the latest victim of a suspected serial killer targeting children.

Eight days had gone by since Zainab Ansari’s body was discovered in a dumping ground. Protests followed in many parts of the country, with angry mobs burning vehicles and other property, demanding the girl’s killer be identified and brought to justice.

Members of the Civil Society light candles and earthen lamps to condemn the rape and murder of 7-year-old girl Zainab Ansari in Kasur, during a candlelight vigil in Islamabad, Pakistan, January 11, 2018. /Reuters Photo

Police fear Ansari may be the latest victim of a serial killer. Residents said there have been at least 12 incidents of this kind, and according to a Punjab government spokesperson, DNA evidence has linked nine rape cases over the last two years. Eight of those nine victims, all of which were girls, were killed.

There is widespread anger and pain over these and other cases. Law experts said there are loopholes in the judicial system allowing perpetrators to walk free, often without facing punishment.

Ansari’s father has appealed to Pakistan’s chief justice and the army chief for help. Several political parties and pressure groups are also building pressure against the government, which many believe is exploiting Ansari’s case for its own political gain.