India Rape case

[TheNewTeddy]

Links: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/07/16388812-india-gang-rape-case-accused-duo-offer-to-testify-against-others?lite - http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/01/09/india-gang-rape-case-lawyer.html

In short, a woman was raped on a privately owned public transit bus in Delhi, the capital of India. She was with a friend, and the two were attacked. Passengers, including the driver, took turns raping the woman over and over, this took hours.

She later died in hospital.

Lawyers for the accused are saying it was her fault for not being a "respectable" woman and for riding the bus in the evening.

The case is showing the problem women have in India, where this sort of thing is more common than one might expect. It will be interesting how it turns out.

My take:

This issue won't just "go away" once the trial is over. This will be a real tipping point for society in India. What remains to be seen if it will result in more rights for women, or, a push back and less rights.

[Bonam]

One might also note the massive riots that resulted in India as a result of this incident.

The prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 5 of the 6 offenders.

Apparently the defense lawyers are also blaming the woman's male companion, who failed to single-handedly protect her from 6 attackers armed with iron rods (he tried but failed, and was also injured in the attack).

Edited January 9, 2013 by Bonam

[Guest American Woman]

It seems as if incidents such as this occasionally catch the attention of the world, and then, sadly, it's back to 'business as usual' after the spotlight is gone.

It would be wonderful if real changes came about as a result of this horrific attack, but I don't have a lot of confidence that there will be any permanent changes.

[Moonlight Graham]

It seems as if incidents such as this occasionally catch the attention of the world, and then, sadly, it's back to 'business as usual' after the spotlight is gone.

It would be wonderful if real changes came about as a result of this horrific attack, but I don't have a lot of confidence that there will be any permanent changes.

It seems odd to me the level of national and international spotlight on this particular story. It's a horrible story, but in an economically developing society of over a billion people with well-known gender inequality problems I wouldn't think a gang-rape like this wouldn't be terribly rare unfortunately. Anyways, I hope something good does come out of it and changes happen.

[Moonlight Graham]

Lawyers for the accused are saying it was her fault for not being a "respectable" woman and for riding the bus in the evening.

Somebody has to defend these punks (they have that right), so I feel someone bad for the lawyers who have stepped up to defend the accused (I read that the accused were having major problems trying to find lawyers who would even touch the case for them). It's basically the lawyers' job to blame the victim as if it were her fault somehow and not the fault the rapists. The entire country is going to see these defense lawyers as scum no matter what they do.

[Guest American Woman]

It seems odd to me the level of national and international spotlight on this particular story. It's a horrible story, but in an economically developing society of over a billion people with well-known gender inequality problems I wouldn't think a gang-rape like this wouldn't be terribly rare unfortunately. Anyways, I hope something good does come out of it and changes happen.

I find myself more and more upset over the treatment so many girls/women must endure in too many parts of the world. I think if the world were to stay enraged, and act on it, changes would be the forced result. Unfortunately, I feel as if the 'powers that be' know that outrage such as this dies down with the media coverage/time - and is all too soon forgotten by the majority of the world. I think at the very least, that's what they're hoping. As an American, a woman, and the mother of daughters, I can't imagine what it must be like to live in such societies. I can only hope that my fears prove unfounded, and this woman's death will not have been just another in the line of too many, but will be the beginning of change within India - and/or other countries with the same mindset.

As for their defense, they are entitled to it as you say, but are the lawyers required to make unfounded accusations as part of the process? I don't think the accused are entitled to that.

Edited to add: In thinking about what you said about the defense lawyers being thought of as scum, I think it takes a lowlife to accuse the victim for her attack, don't you?

Edited January 9, 2013 by American Woman

[Argus]

Somebody has to defend these punks (they have that right), so I feel someone bad for the lawyers who have stepped up to defend the accused (I read that the accused were having major problems trying to find lawyers who would even touch the case for them). It's basically the lawyers' job to blame the victim as if it were her fault somehow and not the fault the rapists. The entire country is going to see these defense lawyers as scum no matter what they do.

I cannot conceive of a healthy society in which one could blame a woman for being raped and beaten to death because she had the temerity to get onto a public bus with her boyfriend and not be laughed out of court. But then again, India is not a healthy society, and it's police are as incompetent and corrupt as can be found anywhere in the world. Its courts are not much better, but as those arrested are evidently too poor to afford the bribes necessary, they will likely be found guilty, whether they are or not. The courts will consider public opinion, and whether the government will be angry if they let them go to be of more importance than whatever evidence the hapless and incompetent police have gathered.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Argus

[Moonlight Graham]

As for their defense, they are entitled to it as you say, but are the lawyers required to make unfounded accusations as part of the process? I don't think the accused are entitled to that.

Edited to add: In thinking about what you said about the defense lawyers being thought of as scum, I think it takes a lowlife to accuse the victim for her attack, don't you?

Well it certainly takes a certain kind of person to be a defense lawyer in criminal cases like this. How does one defend a person they might actually think is guilty, or prosecute a person they know is probably innocent?

[Sleipnir]

Somebody has to defend these punks (they have that right), so I feel someone bad for the lawyers who have stepped up to defend the accused (I read that the accused were having major problems trying to find lawyers who would even touch the case for them).

Those defense lawyers should just say 'All the blame rest on my clients' instead of saying 'well it not his fault for raping the woman, he's a guy.'

[TheNewTeddy]

If I was the laywer, I'd try something like "My client was pressured into doing it by the others" or even "My client did not partake" etc

[Guest American Woman]

If I was the laywer, I'd try something like "My client was pressured into doing it by the others" or even "My client did not partake" etc

I was thinking the same thing; instead of blaming the woman for being out, I would say they were pressured by society to believe she shouldn't have been out. I would blame it on society, not the woman - and thus putting out the reality that society needs to change, not perpetuating the belief that it's women's fault when this happens - that "respectable women aren't raped."

Again. How can anyone with any morals/ethics put the blame on the woman - saying that respectable women don't get raped?

Edited January 10, 2013 by American Woman

[TheNewTeddy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/01/13/india-bus-rape.html It seems to have happened again.

[TimG]

It seems to have happened again.

I suspect it is a common occurrence that only is international news because of the protests over the last one. Sometimes a mundane event can trigger great social change - I hope this is the case here.

[betsy]

Well it certainly takes a certain kind of person to be a defense lawyer in criminal cases like this. How does one defend a person they might actually think is guilty, or prosecute a person they know is probably innocent?

If he believes his clients are guilty, then try to talk his clients into pleading guilty, and perhaps judge may be lenient enough to spare them the death sentence (I don't now how that works in India).

On the other hand, if there is reasonbale doubt that his clients are innocent - we don't know if these are the same guys who did raped the woman - then just defend them with evidences. Or blame the cops!

[betsy]

The crime is so heinous - hopefully there wouldn't be any copycats here.