Gang-raped Indian Teen Pushed to Wed Attacker, Kills Herself

[ceg045]

A 17-year-old Indian girl who was gang-raped killed herself after police pressured her to drop the case and marry one of her attackers, police and a relative said on Thursday.

Amid the ongoing uproar over the gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi earlier this month, the latest case has again shone the spotlight on the police's handling of sex crimes.

One police officer has been sacked and another suspended over their conduct after the assault during the festival of Diwali on November 13 in the Patiala region in the Punjab, according to officials.

The teenager was found dead on Wednesday night after swallowing poison.

Her death came as it emerged that the names, addresses and photographs of convicted rapists will be posted online by police in India to publicly shame them for their crimes.

Inspector General Paramjit Singh Gill said that the teenager had been "running from pillar to post to get her case registered" but officers failed to open a formal inquiry.

"One of the officers tried to convince her to withdraw the case," Gill, the police chief for the area, told AFP.

Before her death, there had been no arrests over her case although three people were detained on Thursday. Two of them were her alleged male attackers and the third was a suspected woman accomplice.

The victim's sister told Indian television that the teenager had been urged to either accept a cash settlement or marry one of her attackers.

"The police started pressuring her to either reach a financial settlement with her attackers or marry one of them," her sister told the NDTV network.

Meanwhile, the Press Trust of India reported that a police officer has been suspended for allegedly refusing to register a rape complaint in the northern state of Chhattisgar.

The woman and her husband later brought the case to the attention of a more senior officer and a hunt has now been launched for her attacker, an auto rickshaw driver.

Official figures show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes recorded last year in India were against women.

The real figure is thought to be much higher as so many women are reluctant to report attacks to the police.

During an address to the chief ministers of India's states on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to bring in new laws to cover attacks on women.

http://news.sky.com/story/1030759/gang- ... ls-herself

[Emme]

absolutely heartbreaking.

[Chowder Head]

Lord have mercy.

[AVENues]

The dark ages will never end.

[RosyDaisy]

This is absolutely sickening! That poor girl doesn't deserve that. She deserves justice, and her rapist should be in jail instead of becoming her husband. I can only imagine what kind of life she will have from now on. :angry-screaming:

[kiwimusume]

Disgusting. That's the only word I have besides incoherent rage.

[Hane]

And this $#!+ is going on in a country that's supposed to be "the biggest democracy in the world." Beyond appalling.

[Abi]

This is so upsetting :(

I'm probably being overly optimistic by hoping that these new laws that India is apparently going to bring in will give some REAL protection and support to women.

[Mela99]

Christ.

"Oh hey, if you don't want money, here's something even better - marry the shitwad and let him abuse you for the rest of your existence!"

[LadyFriend]

Ugh....every time I read about this story it makes me feel worse. It's just heartbreaking.

“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days." Deut. 22:28-29