Sisters Sentenced to Rape, to Horrific to be True?


 

One of the most scandalous claims that went around was that the sisters had run awat from their home after they were told they would be stripped naked and their faces blackened, paraded in front of others, before they were raped “to make atonement for their brother’s transgression.”

Kumari, the elder sister, admitted she didn’t know if the council had issued a ruling but said she took the threat seriously because women are often punished in India for things they have not done.

“It is very tough life for women,” Kumari said in an interview at Tyagi’s office in the relative security of the capital. “These things can happen.”

Village councils, like that in Baghpat, are unelected and do deliver up rulings on women’s dress, property and marriage that can be quite uncivil. Rape as punishment has been ordered in rare cases.  This is the “truth” that helped foster the gossip.

There were many discrepancies in the accounts offered by the families of the sisters and the married woman, members of the village council, the lawyer who drew up the Supreme Court petition, and police officials.

But no one said they had any evidence that the council had handed down the rape punishment, as alleged in the court petition. The petition said the council was comprised of upper caste men.

 

Source: Reuters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sI5vzNrejs



Share

10 Comments

Leave a Reply

Pin It on Pinterest