Police in India say a young woman has been ganged raped on the orders of a village council because she fell in love with a man from a different religion. On January 23, 2014, 13 men were arrested in West Bengal state.
A series of rapes in India over the past year has sparked widespread outrage over chronic sexual violence in India and government failures to protect women. The West Bengal case is particularly troubling because the alleged rape apparently was sanctioned by a council made up of village elders. Such councils are not legally binding in India, but they are seen as the will of the local community. Those who flout the councils risk being ostracized.
The victim told police that the village council in Subalpur village ordered her to pay a fine for having an affair with the man. When her family said they were too poor to pay, the council ordered the gang rape.
Irish Times, January 23, 2014
A series of rapes in India over the past year has sparked widespread outrage over chronic sexual violence in India and government failures to protect women. The West Bengal case is particularly troubling because the alleged rape apparently was sanctioned by a council made up of village elders. Such councils are not legally binding in India, but they are seen as the will of the local community. Those who flout the councils risk being ostracized.
The victim told police that the village council in Subalpur village ordered her to pay a fine for having an affair with the man. When her family said they were too poor to pay, the council ordered the gang rape.
Irish Times, January 23, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment