The alleged rape of a nine-year-old girl who was reportedly taken from her home against her will, and sexually assaulted by her neighbour on Saturday evening has left the August Town community outraged.

THE STAR understands that the minor has since lost appetite and has been vomiting constantly.

An HIV test is expected to be conducted today as the accused man was reported to have avoided using a condom during the assault.

At the same time, THE STAR understands that the suspect was given a sound beating by men from the community, after an alarm was raised after the incident. Two other men were also beaten after residents said they noticed them looking at the little girls in the community.

The suspect managed to elude the police after he escaped from the mob who had decided to turn him over to the lawmen.

"Dem seh when dem beat him last night (Saturday), the police did a come so dem let him go," a resident claimed.

Information reaching THE STAR indicates that the minor was overpowered and pulled from her home by a neighbour known to her even though she refused to leave with him.

"Him jump the back fence and she see him an dress back and him hold her and cover up her mouth and lift her up,"Patsie, the minor's mother, explained as she recounted what her daughter told her.

As she held back the tears, albeit with her eyes already red after intense crying before THE STAR visited her home, she further explained that the suspect took her daughter to his house.

"Him pull her from the back wall. Him lift her up and carry her inna him bathroom ...," where the sexual assault was said to have taken place, Patsie told THE STAR.

A look of bemusement spread across her face as she said she did not expect something like this to happen as she has known the suspect since they were children.

Furthermore, she explained that he is a family man who lives with his common-law wife and has three daughters of his own so she considers it unbelievable that he would have done something like this.

She also told THE STAR that she thought he was a decent man who was also faithful.

"Him never ever put argument to me, so this is a surprise to me," she emphasised.

"It deh pon her mind cause she seh 'why me this haffi happen to'... she no wah see nobody," Patsie added with a look of dejection etched on her face.

The August Town police confirmed the incident.

NAME CHANGED.