ADDIS ABABA, (Reuters) – Hundreds of women have  rallied to demand the death penalty for a man who shackled a  girl with dogs for 18 years and abused her, the Ethiopian News  Agency (ENA) reported yesterday.

The unnamed suspect from Adama — a town 100 km (63 miles)  east of the capital Addis Ababa — imprisoned the girl from the  age of four, the agency said.

The man took custody of her when his mother, who had been  caring for the girl, died. The victim’s own mother suffered from  mental illness.

“The suspect tortured, violated and brutally abused the girl  for 18 years, shackling her with dogs in a secluded room inside  his home,” police told ENA.

“He starved the girl, only throwing her crumbs of bread once  in a while, and she was forced to share the dogs’ food to  survive. She is in poor health.”