Forty officers have been deployed to investigate the rape of the nine year-old girl on Tuesday afternoon.

Defence Minister Timoci Natuva told Parliament this morning, the team includes officers from the Sexual Offences Unit, K-9 Unit and Crime Scene Investigators.

An initial team of 20 officers led by the Director CID was deployed to investigate the incident on Tuesday. This was then increased to 40.

Natuva says any further similar incidents against our women and girls will be dealt with severely.

He says our women and girls are supposed to live in peace and move day and night without fear.

30 seconds of silence was observed by Members of Parliament to pray for rape victim and her family.