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IPrathiba Murthy, a BPO employee in Bangalore was raped and murdered by a taxi driver.
The principal of a government school in north Delhi raped a Class 10 student of the school. The principal, who was also the girl's private tutor, took the girl to three cronies of his. The four eminently respectable men - a school principal, a vice-principal and two businessmen - gang raped the 16-year old girl during the night. The next morning they sent her back to her parents.
Banwari Devi, a dalit and working as saathin in government programme of Rajasthan was gang raped by a dominant caste in front of her husband. She was preventing child marriages amongst Gujjars. The perpetrators thought she must be "taught a lesson..."
For every twenty six minutes a rape is committed in India and out of which 30% are against minors.
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Some precautions for the single women
- Rape/sexual assault is one of the ugliest and most brutal expression of masculine violence against women. Rape is a violent crime, an Invasion and a frightening experience. Rape affects all women, no matter what their age, caste or economic status.
- Rape is not sex but violence on women/girls
- Rape/Sexual abuse makes women feel humiliated and degraded
- The rape or the threat of rape always makes women feel unsafe and forced to remain alert all the time
- All women are potential victims of sexual assault. By being aware, a woman can reduce the likelihood of becoming a rape victim.
- This does not mean all rapes can be prevented. If at all a rape is committed, the victim and people around her should address the trauma by remembering that
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Psycho-social trauma of a rape victim:
- Always take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone.
- The victim faces degradation and social unacceptability. "It is a deathless shame or living with death"
- It does not only victimise her, but it also leaves a lifelong stigma on the character and dignity of a woman, causing her and her relatives, pain and agony.
- In the case of an unmarried woman, the stigma acts as a hurdle for a married life and she is looked as an outcaste. For no fault of hers she has to endure all the pain, shame and misery.
- The married woman loses the love of her husband and her restoration in the family is jeopardized. The family members never show a positive approach to her. Even children lose the trust and security they reposed in her.
- For fear of blame, rape victims often remain reticent and withdrawn. Many a time, they attempt to commit suicide out of grief and self-contempt.
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How to report rape to Police
Do not shower, wash, or change clothes
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Some precautions for the single women
- Do not shower, wash, or change clothing
- Have a medical exam and internal gynaecological exam as soon as possible. A delay in time may destroy evidence
- A female doctor must take semen smears
- Inform female doctor of exact acts committed upon you and have the doctor note any medical evidence of them.
- This does not mean all rapes can be prevented. If at all a rape is committed, the victim and people around her should address the trauma by remembering that
- Female doctor should note any bruises or injuries bleeding, lacerations, etc. external or internal
- Have test for venereal diseases (and pregnancy later, if relevant)
- Do not disturb the scene of the assault
- Inform police of all details of attacker like his face, language, did he receive any calls, his vehicle number and of anything unusual you may have noted about the attacker
- Remember what the person said and how it was said. It may lead to the arrest of the assailant
- Show police any external bruises or injuries, however minor, resulting from the attack
- Police will request your clothes for purpose of evidence
- Inform the police if you remember anything that was not previously reported
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Description of the attacker
- Type of vehicle used by the rapist (if known - license, make or model and colour).
- Age, weight and height
- Hair colour and length
- Colour of eyes
- Clothing
- Any unusual marks, scars, tattoos, ring, etc
- Any facial hair
- Type of accent (Any strange or distinctive odour)
- Last direction of travel
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