The Gang Rape and Murder of an 8 Year Old Child in India

Displaced children in Kenya. Credit: IPSBy Siddharth ChatterjeeNAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 23 2018 (IPS)Grotesque and barbaric, is the only way to describe the rape and murder of an 8 year old child, in a country where women and girls are traditionally revered as Goddesses. There have been numerous cases of rape across the country, however, the story of little Asifa, who was sedated, gang raped, tortured and then murdered in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir has haunted us all. While Asifa was killed in January 2018, the details of the case only grabbed national headlines in April, this was partly due to the heinous nature of the crime, and disturbing allegations that the child’s treatment, was the result of a concerted plan of action to drive out the nomadic Muslim community which her family belongs to.Since then, the media in India has been awash with case after case of babies and girls being raped across India, with little to no action taking place to prevent this deluge of sexual assault and violence. From an 8-month old baby girl in Indore, to a 9-year in Etah, Uttar Pradesh, to a 10-year old girl in Chhattisgarh, to the rape of a 16-year old in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh (allegedly by a leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party, India’s ruling party), there is seemingly a new atrocious daily headline which exposes the rape and murder of yet another child.All the while, elected officials have either been shockingly silent, or have spoken out too late, and some have even shown their active supp...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Crime & Justice Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Human Rights Migration & Refugees TerraViva United Nations Women's Health Source Type: news