Stripping India's Hell Holes, and more
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 22, 2013 -

Four months after the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year old paramedical student by six persons including a juvenile in a moving bus at New Delhi, thus, sparking Nationwide protests and forcing the Government to pass tough laws for crimes against women, including death penalty for repeat offenders or for rape attacks that lead to the death of the victim; the latest incident of abduction and rape of a 5-year old girl, who, after remaining missing for two days, was found left to starve and die inside a locked room at the National capital by two men on April 17, has once brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes.

While the question of safety and ill-treatment of women in the country, where, ironically, numerous goddesses are being worshipped and revered, has always remained a serious issue, what has angered the public more and driven them to the streets with regular demonstrations in front of the Police Headquarters at Delhi, and residences the Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Gandhi this time, was the glaring lapses on the part of the police in handling the case.

The parents of the victim girl have alleged that when they went to file a missing report, the police officers concerned refused to help and when the girl was found, the police offered them Rs 2,000 to buy their silence.

The conduct of the Delhi police in the latest rape incident has clearly shown that passing strong laws to deal with crimes against woman and girl child in India is not enough.

Enacting strong legislations may be essential like the first step towards finding a solution to a problem, but what is even more important is for the administration to ensure that the police and the existing justice delivery system act swiftly and crack down on crimes against women without any dilly-dallying.

It is also essential on the part of the administration to ensure the laws enacted are implemented fully in letter and spirit. Only then, the public would be able to convince about its seriousness on protecting woman and girl child from sexual predators who seem to be prowling all around today.

Showing concern over rising crimes against women while speaking at some public platforms or condemning rape or murder after every incident and then rapping the police for inept handling of the case or insensitivity while dealing with angry public is also not going to work at all.

If the just released report of the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) titled, "India's Hell Holes: Child Sexual Assault in Juvenile Justice Homes", which revealed that sexual offences against children in India has reached epidemic proportions and a large number of such crimes are being committed in 733 juvenile justice homes run and aided by government, thus, witnessing a 336% rise since 2001, is of any indication, then it is high time for Indian authorities to realise that the days of offering condolences or giving some monetary assistance to the victims be best left buried behind or they themselves be buried alive to death.