BEIJING -- A child rape suspect will face prosecution in Central China's Henan province more than 20 years after the crime, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

The suspect surnamed Liu was suspected of raping and suffocating an eight-year-old girl, surnamed Guo, on Nov 26, 1996, in an abandoned cave in a rural area of Xinmi city in Henan, the SPP said Friday.

Local police found the body, now believed to have buried by Liu before he fled, but failed to identify the suspect.

In 2013, Liu was matched to the crime by DNA evidence. He was arrested by local police in March 2017.0 As the case extended beyond the prosecution period of 20 years, as stipulated by the country's Criminal Law, local authorities reported to the SPP for approval of prosecution.

The prosecution was approved due to Liu's alleged evil conduct and the severe consequences, despite surpassing the 20-year prosecution limit, the SPP said.