Police Say Lions Guarded Abducted Girl
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A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by seven men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently chased off her captors, a policeman said.
She was beaten repeatedly before she was found June 9 by police and relatives on the outskirts of Bita Genet, about 350 miles southwest of Addis Ababa, the capital.
She had been guarded by the lions for about half a day, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said.
“They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest,” Wondimu said.
Tilahun Kassa, a local government official, corroborated Wondimu’s version of events.
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