Mute indignity

The ordeal suffered by a deaf and mute woman travelling from Quetta to Lahore after she was raped in the washroom of the Akbar Bugti Express at Samma Satta near Bahawalpur must have been terrifying on its own. But to make matters worse, she was then subjected to three different medical exams by authorities with her brother-in-law, who was travelling with her, complaining police were holding back on investigation. The reason for this police reluctance could well be that the man identified as the rapist by the woman was a sepoy with the Balochistan regiment. The story is typical of the manner in which rape victims are treated in our country. Other women have suffered similar maltreatment and insensitivity at the hands of the police. The fact that the alleged culprit is said to be a member of the security personnel of course adds to the problems since the police are not always willing to step in when it comes to such cases. The rapist could well have attempted to take advantage of the woman’s handicap and perhaps been unaware that she would be able to give details of the incident.

The terrible occurrence simply highlights the need for victims of sexual crime to be treated with far greater respect and dignity. The woman, a mother of three, acted bravely to take up the matter and identify the man sleeping near the washroom as her assailant. Unfortunately, very few victims of rape are willing to step forward in a similar manner. The reason for this lies in the fact that they are so often treated as offenders rather than victims in need of help and support. The Samma Satta police say that the sepoy has been handed over for trial before military courts. It is difficult to know what will happen from this point on given the secrecy of such trials. What we can say is that no woman suffering such a crime on public transport or other place should be forced to endure the treatment meted out to the young victim in this case. What is imperative is that in all matters involving crimes of sex, the victim receive a thoughtful, sensitive approach from investigators – and that includes medical authorities. There would appear to be no conceivable reason for the multiple medical examinations. These simply rub salt into an open wound. We hope that eventually, the victim can attain the justice she deserves and that the rapist is brought to justice.