Two men arrested over rape of nine-year-old girl in rural France

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnap and rape of a nine-year-old girl in rural France.

Police said the men were driving a stolen car when they were arrested in Saumur village on Monday evening.

One of the men is suspected of raping both the child and a 73-year-old woman, local media report. DNA tests are now being carried out by local police.

The child was abducted by a man in a Citroën car while she was walking to buy bread in Villiers on Sunday.

According to local media, the abduction triggered a major search with both gendarmes and local police officers from nearby Poitiers being deployed, along with a search helicopter.

The girl was found shortly after she went missing and was taken to Poitiers University Hospital, where she is still being cared for.

The other rape, of the 73-year-old woman, was allegedly committed on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, the mayor of Villiers earlier suggested the suspect was “a man [from] outside” the village.

However, officials have not released any information about the suspects.