NEW DELHI –  Thousands of people have protested across India to seek an end to sexual violence against women.

Protesters marched in New Delhi, Mumbai and other cities on Sunday to show their anger and express solidarity with victims of sexual violence.

The outrage was triggered by the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in India’s portion of Kashmir and the abduction and rape of a teenage girl in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Violent crimes against women have been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted in 2013. In 2012, the fatal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi triggered massive protests by hundreds of thousands to demand stricter rape laws in India.