NEW DELHI, KOMPAS.com – A Dalit caste teenage girl who is presumed dead raped by four upper-caste men, sparking outrage from activists India, politicians, and Bollywood stars on Tuesday (29/09/2020).
As many as 200 million Dalit people who are low caste in India, it has long experienced discrimination and harassment. Activists also say the number of cases has increased during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reported AFPThe 19-year-old was brutally attacked in Uttar Pradesh state on September 14, according to a complaint the family filed with police.
Also read: Dalit caste girl raped and tortured until paralyzed, suspects from higher castes
According to the authorities, the four suspects have been arrested.
The victim was found lying covered in blood due to injuries to the neck and spine which left him paralyzed. He was rushed to a local hospital before being taken to New Delhi on Monday (9/28/2020) because his condition worsened.
“He died in treatment on Tuesday morning. We will ensure a speedy investigation and trial in this case,” Hathras district police chief Vikrant Vir told AFP.
Also read: Married a Woman from a Higher Caste, This Man was Kidnapped and Killed
This case occurred several months after 4 men were hanged because of this rape and the brutal gang murder, of a schoolgirl on a bus in Delhi in 2012.
That case shows India has a thorny problem with sexual violence, even until the case was brought to Netflix.
Bollywood figures and women’s rights activists have denounced the latest case on social media.
“Sad, sad day. How long will this be allowed to happen,” wrote director-producer Farhan Akhtar.
Activist Kavita Krishnan said the attack reflected a larger “picture of structural violence” against Dalit women.
Priyanka Gandhi, a member of the opposition Congress party, blamed the attack on the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, led by PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Women in India experience an alarming level of sexual violence, regardless of their caste or class.
Nearly 34,000 cases rape was reported in “The Land of Bollywood” in 2018, but the actual figures are believed to be much higher, as many victims are afraid to report.
Also read: Calling Women Rape Because It Is Difficult to Withstand Temptation, Chinese Universities Condemned
– .
