Pakistan: Zainab Ansari's killer gets four death sentences
A court in Pakistan has given a 24-year-old man, Imran Ali, four death sentences for raping and murdering a six-year old girl last month.
Zainab Ansari's body was found on a rubbish dump in the city of Kasur, south of Lahore, on 9 January.
Her murder triggered outrage across the country, including riots against alleged police incompetence in which two protesters died.
The victim's father was in court to hear the verdict, amid heavy security.
Zainab's killer has also been linked by police and the chief minister of Punjab province to the earlier murders and assaults of other girls in the area.
- The city haunted by a spate of child killings
- Murdered girl's father 'has no words'
- Social media calls for #JusticeForZainab
Dozens of witnesses testified against Ali in the trial, where forensic evidence including DNA and polygraph tests was also presented.
REUTERS
His lawyer had withdrawn from the case after Ali confessed, reports say.
Ali was handed death sentences for kidnapping, rape, murder and an act of terrorism, a life sentence for sodomy and a large fine.
He now has 15 days to appeal against the verdict, reports Dawn news website.
Police were under huge pressure to find who killed Zainab and the other children.
Zainab's family say the police did not take action during the five days from when she was reported missing and her body was found. Relatives recovered CCTV footage of her last movements.
The video, which showed a girl being led away by a man, was circulated widely on social media.
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