We could only hope that after the New Delhi bus incident and the rape and murder of three young sisters that media coverage would somehow ameliorate these problems, at least a little bit. Instead we receive more devastating news: a Swiss tourist was gang raped in front of her husband while camping in central India. The couple was on a bike tour and decided to set up camp in Madhya Pradesh when between five and seven men attacked them, holding the man back as the others took turns raping the woman. The men then stole some money and a laptop before leaving the scene.
Government officials have taken measures in attempt to decrease the frequency of these terrible crimes, such as making fatal rape cases a capital offense. However, it’s difficult to see any direct results from these policies when we consider that since the December bus rape, hundreds of other rape cases have come to light. AND the same day the Swiss tourists were assaulted, a different woman in Madhya Pradesh’s capital was gang-raped on a bus. To add to the heaping pile of pessimism, out of 600 rape cases in New Delhi last year, only one offender was convicted. Rajat Mitra, a clinical psychologist and director of the Swanchetan Society for Mental Health weighed in on this matter, saying, “There is an overwhelming feeling [among sex offenders] that you can get around the system.”
Some of you might remember that after the woman on the bus in December was raped, many felt it was the 23-year-old’s fault for riding in an unidentified bus late at night. Well surprise, surprise: a bunch of people think it’s this couple’s fault for staying the night in an area with a higher ratio of men than women. A high-ranking official stated, “They apparently lost track and took a wrong turn and decided to halt for the night by the side of a village brook little realizing that the district with 85:100 men-to-women ratio is not the safest place for women.” Obviously they should have known that when there are a lot of dudes around, they automatically have to sexually violate the nearest woman. Duh. This tragic story continues to prove the horrible state of affairs in India is not improving, and victim-blaming seems to be at an all-time high.
Source: TIME
Photo via TIME
