In no civilised society are victims of rape humiliated endlessly and left to suffer further mental agony as they are in Pakistan. Their agony begins with rape and extends all the way, forcing them to either settle for monetary compensation, or withdraw their complaint for fear of publicity.
Perpetrators of rape are usually either habitual sex offenders or they belong to more privileged classes than the victims of rape. Even publicised sexual criminals, like the rapist of the Civil Hospital nurse in Karachi, finally get away as did those that raped Hayat family’s daughter in Karachi several years back. Paedophiles are let off to commit another crime because of rampant corruption within police and lower judiciary.
It is so unfortunate that few in the media do not hesitate to expose the identity of those unfortunate women, already traumatised by their rapists only to be exposed to further humiliation, as if they are responsible for the crime. Insinuations made to put the blame on women, who are working women and as such perhaps responsible for inviting this crime, portray the sick male chauvinism that dominates many working within the law enforcement agencies, media or even the lower judiciary.
The most recent such incident is that in which two young women driving a car were stopped within DHA, Karachi, kidnapped, gang raped and then thrown on the road. A private TV channel proudly claimed that they had copies of rape victim’s NIC, which obviously were obtained from police and is a sad reflection on morals and work ethics of police and some elements within the media in Pakistan. The system, instead of being sympathetic to victims, tries to protect the rapists by exposing the victims to public scrutiny and media exposure. Such a repulsive attitude of law enforcement agencies and the state discourages the victims of rape to pursue their case.
It is an obligation of the state to guard the identity of rape victims and only expose the identity of rapists. Unfortunately, the attitude of the state prevents the victims of rape to seek justice and thus encourages rapists and sick criminals to commit these heinous crimes more frequently.
Strict laws need to be enacted and than enforced making it obligatory upon the state to ensure that identity of rape victims should never be exposed, unless they themselves are willing to go public. Trials of victims of rape should be conducted in courts where public access is limited only to concerned lawyers and their clients, or close relatives of the rape victims, and the media should only be allowed to print proceedings without identification of victims of rape.
MALIK T ALI
Lahore
