Rights column
Lack
of progress in bringing rapists to justice in Gujarat
Three
years after several hundred women and girls were raped
when violence erupted in the state of Gujarat in western
India, the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity
continue to walk free, says a report of the Amnesty International.
The 107-page report, examines the breakdown at all levels
of government in preventing grave human rights abuses
against women, protecting victims and bringing perpetrators
to justice.
"The
gross failure of the local police and the Bharatiya Janata
Party-led Gujarat state government to protect Muslims
especially women and girlsand the refusal of the central
government to censure the state government in Gujarat
is inexcusable," charged Dr. William F. Schulz, Executive
Director of Amnesty International USA. "Adding insult
to injury the authorities in Gujarat still refuse to admit
failings and express regret. Both the central and state
governments must take effective steps to bring justice,
truth and reparations to the victims."
According
to the report, local police stood by or joined in the
violence during the attacks. When victims tried to file
complaints, police often did not record them properly
and failed to carry out investigations. Doctors did not
complete medical records accurately. Bilqis Yakoob Rasool,
a victim of gang-rape who lost 14 family members, reported:
"They started molesting the girls and tore off their
clothes. Our naked girls were raped in front of the crowd.
They killed my maternal uncle and my father's sister and
her husband too. After raping the women they killed all
of them... After raping me, one of the men kept a foot
on my neck and hit me."
Rasool's
case was closed because, police said, "the offence
is true but undetected," in other words those responsible
could not be located. After a new investigation by the
Central Bureau of Investigation revealed that local police
had attempted to cover up the crime, 12 persons accused
of rape and murder were arrested; their trial began in
September 2004. Rape laws in Gujarat state at the time
of the violence were too narrow to cover the wide range
of abuses women suffered. In many cases, judges and prosecutors
did not protect witnesses from threats, sided with the
accused and sometimes acquitted them.
"Little
has been done to prevent such violence happening again,"
explained Director of AIUSA's Women's Human Rights program.
"The Gujarat state government must rapidly make institutional
changes, including gender-sensitisation training for police,
judges, and prosecutors. Those who deliberately hampered
the prosecution of offenders should be held accountable."
For many victims, justice, if it comes at all will come
too late.
"Many
women were burned alive after they'd been raped, leaving
no trace of the crimes against them," said Dauer.
"Scores of other women never filed rape complaintsthey
were either prevented or were too afraid or ashamed to
do so. These are the forgotten victims of the violence."
Source:
Amnesty International.
