(On the 4th anniversary of the Nirbhaya case, we are still a long away from creating a safe space for women. A set of recent incidents involving gruesome rapes of women across the country has yet again raised several questions about the Indian society and the judiciary. We at The Quint believe that a rape survivor’s life doesn’t end when she is raped. And that even if our institutions – law, the judiciary, the hospitals – are failing a rape survivor, we as a society need to step up. And keep the fight going. We are publishing this article originally published on 24 July 2016 from The Quint’s archives as part of our #FightingRape campaign.)
Rape is not simply a violation of the body or an act of sexual gratification. Of course it’s not, and if I were to harp on this any further, I would only be adding yet another voice to an already far advanced discourse about this most barbaric and condemnable act.
Instead, let’s talk about those close to the victims; those who may have not been subjected to the act physically, but have suffered the reality of a loved one being put through it.