A 9-year-old girl narrowly escaped rape on September 2 in the morning in Andranovelona, a commune of Mahitsy. The incident occurred when the girl was sent by her parents to run errands. She was reportedly approached by a young man from the neighborhood, who lured her to a fenced area where he claimed to be watching a property. He allegedly knocked her to the ground. The child fiercely resisted, even scratching him. During the struggle, the suspected assailant allegedly bit the girl's face, causing a serious wound to her left cheek. Bruises were also found on both her arms and abdomen. The child's resistance reportedly prevented the alleged sexual assault from being completed. Managing to call for help, she escaped and reached her parents. Her bag and 2,000 ariary were found at the scene. Alerted, gendarmes immediately launched a search and arrested the young man, aged 27. He was taken to the Mahitsy territorial brigade for investigation. The victim was evacuated to Anosiala hospital for treatment. The investigation continues to determine the exact circumstances and forward the case to justice.