Kyrgyz riot, say Kurds sheltered rape suspect

Authorities say hundreds of people in a village in Kyrgyzstan have smashed windows and overturned cars belonging to ethnic Kurds after the rape of a four-year-old girl.

Authorities say hundreds of people in a village in Kyrgyzstan have smashed windows and overturned cars belonging to ethnic Kurds after the rape of a four-year-old girl. An official in Petrovka says Sunday's violence began after the head of the village's Kurdish community attempted to shelter a man accused in the assault.

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Police say the 25-year-old was arrested after the protests died down.

Some contend police only arrested the suspect because of the demonstrations and accused the force of corruption. Police say they haven't been able to find him.

Interior Ministry spokesman Bakyt Seitov says about 50 people have been charged with inciting ethnic violence. Such large-scale unrest is rare in the ex-Soviet republic.