I selected this article because I feel that it’s very relevant to the class and the gender issues that we discuss. It follows up on a previously mentioned case of five men and one juvenile on trial for maliciously raping a young woman who was riding the bus home from a movie in New Delhi (Reuters), India. Both the woman and her male friend were beaten with a metal rod and thrown into the road after the rape. The woman died as a result of her injuries, but her friend survived and will is considered a key witness in this case.
The article did not state a reason for the attack, although noting that the male friend was questioned about the reason for being out with a female at such late hours. However, rape is a very serious problem for women in India. Like the article in the page that I posted, the media is playing a very significant role in exposing this problem and getting laws to fight the problem of crime against women and anti-rape laws passed in the country. The father was reportedly at the trial with the Bharatiya Janata Party, a group with a strong focus on humanism. It was also stated that a special, speedy trial was being held in this case probably due to the huge amount of media attention the case has attracted.
I suspect that this case will lead to several social movements across the country to ensure better protection against rape and abuse in India. Violence against women is a big problem internationally from Spain to India. It is my hope that with the attention gained by cases like this one, that better laws will be put in place in all countries to ensure the security of female citizens and harsh penalites will be put in place as a deterrent to criminals.