In India 90 women are raped daily: On the streets hundreds of protesters after the rape and murder of a doctor

Almost a month has passed since he and the murder of a 31-year-old doctor in her Kolkata university hospital. The “black” day of August 9 where the doctor died tragically after her rape, has caused a wave of indignation throughout India. Tens of thousands of people since that day have gone on the streets asking for justice for both the young doctor and the other women who have suffered similar torture. India unfortunately has a very serious problem with sexual violence since nearly 90 women have been raped daily since 2022. Last night (04.09.2024) the city lights went out and countless protesters poured into the streets next to Kolkata hospital holding candles or lenses, in a symbolic move. That’s where the woman’s lifeless body was found. “We will continue to shut down the streets every night until justice is done,” said a 35-year-old protestor making it clear that the mobilizations will not stop. Only last night 100,000 people protested this sex crime. Among the protesters were the parents of the doctor who can’t believe their daughter “run away” so unfairly. “We were shocked to learn that our daughter died,” her father said. “We wanted to pick up her body, but the pressure was terrible. We were forced to wait for hours at a police station near the hospital and then the police grabbed her body to incinerate it. Why would they incinerate her so quickly?”, she commented on the way the authorities handled the murder. “I want the guilty to lose their sleep, as I do,” he completed. So far a suspect has been arrested for rape and murder but authorities are heavily critical of the investigations they have done. The victim’s father rejected the state initiative that wanted to adopt a bill where rape crimes will be punished by death. “Just a populism move,” he commented. This bill has a more symbolic character since throughout India the same criminal code that provides a 10-year sentence for rape applies. The bill however can be implemented if the president of India approves it. Photos: Associated Press