A 14-year-old Dalit rape victim succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Delhi on Sunday. Prior to her death, she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and forced to drink an acid-like substance that had destroyed her internal system.
Her death has anguished the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal, who lashed out her grievance at the Centre and at the inefficacy of Delhi Police on the issue of women’s safety. She tweeted, “How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want? We all simply wait for next Nirbhaya to die,”. Maliwal added that she “never felt so helpless.”
She died just now. Delhi again failed her Nirbhaya. She suffered so much pain. N her perpetrators were roaming free! https://t.co/wImFxjcPyz
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) July 24, 2016
She also stated that only after the Commission had issued notice to DCP (North) that the accused who was roaming free was arrested.
The DCW has asked the centre to set up a high-level Ministerial Committee on Women Safety under the leadership of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
On Friday, the DCW had issued a notice to DCP (North) questioning the handling of the case of the rape victim after she was allegedly kidnapped by the accused just before a hearing in her rape case and was subjected to sexual assault several times and forced to drink corrosive substance.
To add insult to injury, Home Ministry scrapped Women Safety Sp. Task Force in Delhi set up wen Nirbhaya died stating it’s mandate finished!
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) July 24, 2016
In the notice, the Commission had directed DCP (North) to provide security to the girl and her family and asked why the police had not arrested the accused till date.
The Commission had also sought the details of action taken on the complaint of the victim’s parents regarding threat to their lives in an FIR filed on May 15 and asked the reasons for not registering offences under Section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Woke up to another brutal rape of 4 year old by 30 year old man in Del. She’s bled profusely n is in hospital. Going to see her right now.
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) July 25, 2016
The number of rapes or reports of rape are growing in the country. Whether it’s Delhi, Kerala or Rajasthan, data suggest women are not safe at all in this country. The Centre should take cognisance of the matter and set up committees or task forces to curb such incidents.
