Cyclist gang-raped in India

sfgate.com/news/crime/articl … 359729.php

One has to watch out for ones safety everywhere but a woman in india in a vulnerable position is not a good thing.

Husband and wife touring India by bicycle , camped in forest. Attacked and robbed and the woman raped by a gang of men.

Has it always been unsafe in India or are things getting worse?

Of course before judging INdia, its ridiculously dangerous here in the USA too. Always be aware of your surroundings and who is possibly watching you.

Just one example:
sfgate.com/news/us/article/W … 357156.php

The cyclist was one of two gang rapes that occurred within 24 hours of each other, not to mention the other gang rape that set off massive protests in New Delhi recently. I don’t really care to dilute the subject by comparing it with cases in the US or anywhere else.

Women have always been second class citizens in India. The Delhi rape was so horrendous that a lot of pent up outrage finally boiled over into protests. Whenever an horrible crime like this is perpetrated against a woman, it seems there’s a whole legion of Indian politicians ready to stick their foots in mouths blaming the female victim in one way or another. A chief minister just today was blaming cyclists for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they should have contacted the police when transiting through the state so extra security could have been provided. Ridiculous.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/447347/20130318/indian-officials-blame-swiss-couple-gang-rape.htm

India has a serious problem with the misogyny that exists on all levels of their society. Female infanticide, gang rapes, dowries, kitchen fires, etc. are just a few of the symptoms. Sexual harassment is absolutely commonplace and often passed off as “eve teasing”. Rape is also severely under reported. To report such a crime is a guarantee to receive a lifelong societal stigma. Victims are often coerced by police into not even reporting the crime, or being abused by the police as well.

When the New Delhi rape occurred there was another woman who soon after committed suicide. She’d been gang raped and had gone to the police to report the crime. Instead of arresting the rapists the police harassed the woman in an attempt to have her withdraw her accusations, they also attempted to coerce her into marrying one of the assailants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/india-gang-rape-suicide_n_2370859.html

Unfortunately I’m too much of a skeptic to think anything will ever change in that part of the world. I’ve been going there regularly for the last fifteen years. Often I’m alone, but I’m a guy.

SAD

I read about this elsewhere. The only good thing to be said is that at least the problem is now coming under worldwide scrutiny and condemnation.

I think more importantly, Indians are beginning to acknowledge the situation in a big way.

One other item from Human Rights Watch:
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/12/29/india-rape-victim-s-death-demands-action

[quote]India does not have a uniform protocol for medical treatment and examination of survivors of sexual assault, making responses ad hoc and unpredictable, and in the worst cases, degrading and counter-productive. This is reflected in the continued use of the so-called “finger test,” which Human Rights Watch documented in a 2010 report. While conducting medical examinations, many doctors record unscientific and degrading findings, which involve noting the “laxity” of the vagina or hymen, apparently to determine whether the victims are “virgins” or “habituated to sexual intercourse.” Often doctors, police, and judges look for evidence of “struggle” or “injuries,” especially hymenal injuries, in the medical examination report, discrediting those who do not report such injuries.
[/quote][quote]
Under current criminal law, India does not have a general definition of sexual assault. It only defines rape (penile penetration), “outraging the modesty” of women, and “insulting the modesty” of women. Indian law does not recognize the offense of marital rape.

It is especially difficult to prosecute members of the security forces implicated in sexual assault and other human rights violations. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act provides effective immunity to members of the armed forces who are accused of sexual assault and other abuses. Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides effective immunity to police and other security forces by making it mandatory for a prosecutor to obtain permission from the government to initiate criminal proceedings against public servants.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was introduced in the lower house of the parliament on December 4, introduces a definition of “sexual assault” but limits it to all forms of penetrative sexual assault. Rights groups in India have, however, consistently pressed for a comprehensive definition of sexual assault, which includes both penetrative and non-penetrative forms of sexual assault. Instead, the bill retains the archaic definition of “outraging the modesty of a woman” to cover all forms of non-penetrative sexual assault and harassment. It does not introduce any special procedural protections for survivors who report sexual assault by police officers or members of the armed forces.[/quote]

There are many dangerous places in the world but some tourists just can’t believe that peoples will do certain things to others. They don’t believe or heed the cautions given by the consulates or people who have been in these places. I still remember the case of that French nun who went to Rio de Janeiro to ministry to the peoples living in drug cartel areas. The bad guys there shot her dead.
I’ve seen bunches of tourists planning "exotic"travels to middle east without really thinking of the consequences. If you’re planning to go to these areas, be warned before hand that these places are not completely safe.

Cycling around the world is exciting but can be dangerous, what with this case and the case of the two Brits who died in Thailand recently. It’s not like Ewan Mcgregor and his back up team being on hand all the time.

That Country (My 2nd country) is F****d up, just don’t go there. as the posts above said.
There are no sexual assault laws & Child abuse laws in India. I used to get beat up for no reason in boarding school and they classified it as ‘teaching morals’.

What they’re going to do now is delay the prosecution for soooooo long that everybody in the world will just forget about it.
Women will finally get sick of injustice and the GOV not doing anything that they will just just revert back to getting beat up.
The more scrutiny place on India, the more of this type of violence seems to spring up. When provoked they seem to be very stubborn and just go do it again.

In marriage, the bride needs to provide dowry’s (bucket loads of money ) to the groom. I mean waht?

First read of thread title: Cyclist gang, raped in India.

I was all like, “Wow, a whole gang of cyclists got raped?”

Probably.

That reminds me of something my wife said (she was born and raised in India) when they medevac’d the New Delhi gang rape victim to Singapore. The first words out of her mouth was “She’s going to die”. The reason being the Indian government would have even more protests in their country if the poor woman were to expire in New Delhi. So they dumped her off to another country.

Sure enough, a few days later she died. A few doctors actually spoke up to say the move was entirely unnecessary. The woman needed to be stabilized for months, if not years before she’d be ready for organ transplants, which was the main reason given for moving her to the hospital in Singapore.

Rape is one of the rarest crimes that are committed against women.

That’s what all of us like to think.

We also like to think it doesn’t happen where we live!! Doesn’t happen among us. That’s why the Delhi gang rape touched a nerve. Not in a swanky cineplex, not among us swanky neighbourhoods, not to a medical student. It happens in villages or to shady girls in shady places. It’s not like rapes have suddenly increased, it’s just that we’ve woken up to it. Therefore the protests. The sad thing about the protests is, that they come in too late, late very late. The good thing, that we’ve started bothering about them. The wrong thing, to blame police and govt. for EVERYTHING and wash our hands off the responsibility of a diseased society. The right thing, is to have ‘zero tolerance’ for sexual predators, abusers, and empower women. The thing to be wary of, is that this uproar doesn’t die down quick, but is taken to a crescendo and a finale.

Why gang rape?? For the same reason, men hunt in packs. It’s safer, more fun to share the thrill with your buddies, and ofcourse you can dispense of the victim easier than when alone. But that’s what I think. I can be very wrong I don’t know. I am assuming it is easier to do it in numbers, because to rape a woman alone, she should already be very vulnerable and you really have to beat her up to subjugate her or scare her with a knife or gun or whatever. A group of 8?? well she’s down in an instant…again I’m guessing, There is no possible way, I’d understand why any man would want to rape, let alone 8 together. Some things are beyond comprehension. Who knows, maybe men upto mischief just see a prey and and go for it. I don’t know. Men hunting women in packs, are much more likely to get away with the crime. Some say it’s not about sexual pleasure but a power thing. Where is the power in outnumbering someone 8:1? :aiyo:

Why are rape victims left to die or killed?? That’s universal. No one wants to get caught. It’s mostly in movies, that a woman is raped and the predator walks off, in reality to undress a woman without her will and pin her down, you have to really beat a person, and most , almost all rape victims are left to die. Sure a number of them survive, but only because the rapist was sure he won’t get caught or he didn’t know how to finish her off.

My problem with the my society??? It is not just rape, It is sexual offence of any kind. It is a woman’s right to talk, and talk back and challenge. Women everywhere are second class citizens even online (it’s true so let’s not protest). If a woman speaks the truth, she is a bitch and mean, if a guy does it, he is sensible and a straight talker…blah blah. Anyways the point is women are told and taught and they learn to hold their tongues everywhere. Here (in India), they are also made to silence their voices. So molestation, a lewd remark, an obscene gesture, are things girls learn to shut up about, authorities laugh away, society just ignores. Where do you think it leads the perpetrator?? A notch higher. From rubbing his balls in public, he is squeezing breasts in a lonely alley and then raping women behind bushes or in buses. This is where I think we err. We as a society not just the judiciary. We silently accept this. We don’t empower our girls to talk or COMPLAIN. Nopesies. I know this is true everywhere in every culture, but for us, as a society that in its recent history has been ravaged by foreign rule, - we are just taught to ‘take it’. Or we die. Yeah we’ve been politically independent for nearly 70 years, but social change takes a lot more time to come (think of abolishing slavery in the US, universal franchise everywhere etc.). Until December last year, I was pessimistic about any big change, but now??? With the protests, with women realizing that there is no ‘dishonour’ in being raped, things have changed. Things will change.
Men, who were aggressive in your face in the streets, are a bit more careful, they don’t leer and jeer. I know it’s just a mild shift, rapes occur as we speak, but they do so everywhere, and yet the shift at least in cities is perceptible. Hopefully it will percolate everywhere and widen. Hopefully.

Rape is one of the rarest crimes that are committed against women.

I wish it were true.

Oh and if anybody thinks, I am blaming anyone or anything for the ills of of my society :hand: . I write this, trying to comprehend the phenomena myself. IT is not the answer to anything, solution to anything, merely an attempt to understand. If I do blame anyone, it is the women in my country, who are ashamed of being women, ashamed of giving birth to one, - and yet how do you blame someone who does not know any better?? Oh and let’s not please, try and troll me. There will be other threads.

I have pretty much given up on trying to comprehend what goes on in their minds (The rapists). But we have to understand that these criminals are of lower economic backgrounds, with non-existent social upbringing and this “pack” mentality. We’re talking about a country where it is socially acceptable for 2 men to walk hand in hand yet frowned upon when a couple or 2 women do it. :loco:

But what struck me was the “Hunt in Pack” comment. I absolutely agree with this. From the few times that I’ve been to India, men are pretty much innocent when you single them out but when they form a group…whoah they mean as hell. When they are in that group, there is like one idea/thought/motivation to do something, then your own consciousness is subdued because you think ‘IF everyone is right, then its right’. So some of these guys might just be dragged along to rape someone but this ‘pack’ mentality stops them from doing the right thing and just go along.

Women are still considered objects in India as far as I’m concerned. Portrayed as deserving no rights. This is ‘go make me a sandwich’ to the extreme. It’s sad.

[quote=“hs172”] But we have to understand that these criminals are of lower economic backgrounds, with non-existent social upbringing and this “pack” mentality. We’re talking about a country where it is socially acceptable for 2 men to walk hand in hand yet frowned upon when a couple or 2 women do it. :loco:

Women are still considered objects in India as far as I’m concerned. Portrayed as deserving no rights. This is ‘go make me a sandwich’ to the extreme. It’s sad.[/quote]
Oh lordy lord. Why do we have to understand that the poor alone rape??? :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: The poor alone get REPORTED. It is never easy to convict the rich ones of rape or even report them.

Women hold hands all time. WHy would you think they don’t??? They hold hands hug etc. So do couples. But not necessarily teenagers. But girls and women??? Hell it is the bloody image of ‘innocence, pure and demure’, to hold your best friends’ hand and walking in the bazaar, instead of say walking with your hand in your back pocket trying to pull outyour cell phone. YOu’re mistaken about that.

Definitely not just the poor and underprivileged. And keep in in mind, these numbers are likely to be very underreported.

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/29/indias_culture_of_rape_is_endemic/

And another one: ndtv.com/article/cities/brit … eststories
[i]
A British tourist jumped from her hotel room in Agra today, allegedly to avoid being molested by the owner of the hotel.

The 30-year-old jumped from the balcony on the first floor of the Agra Mahal Hotel and is in hospital with head injuries; both her legs are fractured.

The hotel owner, Sachin Chauhan, has been arrested.
[/i]

To clarify, in case anyone’s wondering, 1st floor means the 2nd floor in British English.

Not planning any trips to India anytime soon.

A mod should correct the title. Now it reads like a gang of cyclists was somehow collectively raped in India.

iv heard of motorcycle gangs but never heard of cyclist gangs ?? :raspberry:

Well except for those once a month riders in san francisco who take over the whole road with their bikes and are looking for fights. Those peeps can be considered a cyclist gang.

iv heard of motorcycle gangs but never heard of cyclist gangs ?? :raspberry:

Well except for those once a month riders in san francisco who take over the whole road with their bikes and are looking for fights. Those peeps can be considered a cyclist gang.[/quote]

Still, I wouldn’t justify raping them.

honestly ? Thats how you read it ?? :laughing: