In the name of justice

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's relationship should be the Bible on how not to be in a domestic partnership. Their toxic behaviour with unbelievable accounts of violence, misogyny, and mutual disrespect was painful to watch and read. But try as one might, there was no escaping the televised and much-reported defamation trial. The public space abounded in memes, TikToks, and social media chatter. And once the verdict was out, all and sundry, presided over the case with their gems of unwanted wisdom. The case is now also being hailed as anti-#MeToo and an example of men's rights. Both of which I find deeply problematic.

The Depp-Heard relationship, as gathered from court testimonials, is vastly disturbing and should not be regarded as a judgement that goes against victims of domestic abuse. With his fantasies of Heard's violent rape and murder, calling Depp a men's rights hero is also far from the truth. To allude to this case as an example of justice being meted out is equally incorrect. The Depp-Heard verdict can't be used to disqualify the revelations of many abused and battered women from around the world who have approached courts of law for justice. More often than not (and that says a lot about society in general) women find themselves silenced into submission. There are still numerous instances of scared women that are yet to get justice.

Consider this, 1 in 3 women in India have faced "intimate partner violence of a physical, emotional, or sexual nature" as per research by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). However, only 1 out of 10 of these women report the matter to authorities. As per the report, only 14 per cent sought help while a staggering 77 per cent kept quiet about being subjected to violence. Dowry deaths are still a sordid reality in our country as we were rudely reminded recently when three sisters married to three brothers in Rajasthan committed suicide. "We don't wish to die but death is better than their abuse…Our in-laws are the reason behind our deaths. We are dying together because it's better than dying every day," read their chilling last message. Two of the women were pregnant while the third had killed her 4-year-old son and an infant. India had over 7,100 reported dowry deaths in 2019; at least 20 women die because of unmet dowry demands every day!

Given these confounding numbers of instances of violence against women, our laws, at least on paper, have been formulated to protect women. Sadly, in India, cases of domestic violence, and for that matter many other civil and criminal matters, face the additional hurdle of time. With the current burden of pending cases on the Indian judiciary, law moves at a snail's pace for the common man. Only high-profile cases of public personalities and their progeny progress speedily through fast-track courts. The rest simply languish in perpetuity making the victim's ordeal long-drawn and even more torturous, as if the abuse itself wasn't enough of a punishment.

Are all women saints? Of course not. There are numerous instances of women abusing and physically assaulting men. There are also instances of fake cases filed against men by women for nefarious reasons. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), less than 8 per cent of all cases alleging rape were found to be false in 2020. The Delhi High Court observed last year that there was "alarming increase" of rape cases "only to arm-twist the accused and make them succumb to the demands of the complainant".

This is reality too but it can't take away from the fact that a majority of cases of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse and harassment, especially in countries like India, are perpetrated by men. Law should be equitable and we are in a unique position to ensure that while women are protected, fake cases against men are also weeded out with alacrity and without harming future cases brought forward by assaulted women. The rights and voices of victims, whether male or female, should not be muzzled — let not a single innocent be convicted.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal