Unending shame
The charges of rape against a senior officer of the Delhi government’s Woman and Child Development Department has yet again raised questions over our claims of progressive humanity. It has exposed, certainly not for the first time, the animal instincts of humans draped in a façade of ethics and morality. The man is alleged to have raped a teenage daughter of his expired friend for several months. What is worse that the officer’s wife is also alleged to be involved in the conspiracy, as she is accused of giving abortion pills to the teenager after coming to know that the girl was raped by her husband. The victim’s mother, after the passing of her husband, had left the girl under the guardianship of the couple on their insistence. Of course, the law will take its due course, and punishment, if the crime is established, will be awarded to the accused couple, but how does one put this breach of human trust and morality in words! If the allegations are true, will the sentence awarded to the accused serve as complete justice for the victim and her mother? Certainly not. Considering that the girl is reported to have been raped two years ago, it is impossible to fathom the trauma that she might have undergone at a tender age during the time period that followed. Any amount of compensation will not be enough to account for the paramount mental burden she braced during her studies and in life. For her, the incident would mean a life compromised, a career curtailed. Thanks to the stigma that surrounds rape and sexual assault, the girl’s mother reportedly came to know about the incident only after two years. Currently, the girl is undergoing treatment and counselling at a hospital. Furthermore, the matter is currently under investigation, with the girl's statement pending before a magistrate. The police have indicated their intention to record her statement in court and subsequently interrogate the officer. There appears to be a wide gap in the overall communication framework, which leads to normalisation and suppression of the incidents of rape and sexual assault. Notably, apart from the gruesome incidents of rape that are reported in media, there are numerous cases of rape and assault in households that are perpetual in nature and often go unreported. It is entirely incomprehensive as to why such household cases are dealt with a comparatively soft approach by society! While it is pertinent to spread awareness among masses through consistent public communication and domain experts, it is equally incumbent upon the media to report such cases in a comprehensive and consistent manner. Media not just fails to report the frequency of rape cases with due priority, its use of phrases and terms during reporting has also been incoherent and much below the mark. Additionally, there is a gross absence of follow-up reporting unless the case happens to be high-stake and high-profile. Appropriate media reporting that puts the concerns of victims at the centre stage can go a long way in changing society’s outlook towards rape, and thus lead to a reduction of rape incidents in the country. Follow-up reporting of ‘ordinary’ rape cases is of vital importance in this regard. It will not just lead to justice for the victim but also hold the concerned authorities accountable. The National Crime Records Bureau had revealed in 2019 that 88 rapes took place in India every day on an average, while the conviction rate stood merely at 27.8 per cent. However, the number of reported rape cases dramatically came down from 33,356 in 2018 to 28,046 in 2020, and the conviction rate rose to 39.3 per cent during the same period! Everything said and done, it is an uncontested fact that a large number of cases still go unreported in India. In the present case, the accused officer and his wife have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Additionally, IPC sections including 376 2f (committing rape on woman as a guardian), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 323 (causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) have been invoked. Irrespective of the position that the main accused holds, strict and speedy justice should be ensured. Apart from punishing the culprits, the victim should be duly assisted at all levels for a rapid recovery.