Islamabad: Pakistanis took to the streets today demanding the arrest and public execution of the criminals responsible for the gang rape of a woman, in front of her children, near Lahore. The tragedy occurred only days after the sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl, triggering a surge of outrage and prompting protests.
Punjab Police said that the DNA tests of seven suspects have been conducted and the area of five kilometres around the crime scene was being examined in search of the culprits with the help of “DNA evidence, geo-fencing, examining CCTV footage”. Inspector General Inam Ghani said that the “barbarians” would soon be brought to justice, saying, “Police teams are working day and night to provide justice to the victim”.
Focus on catching culprits
Amid the outcry for swift police actions, citizens also demanded the removal of Lahore police chief Umer Sheikh over his insensitive remarks that lay the blame on the victim. “We feel that victim blaming is indicative of a highly problematic mindset which contributes to the culture of impunity” that makes the “victims of rape and sexual harassment feel unsafe” and reluctant to report their complaints” Lahore-based lawyers said in a written complaint. However, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said “right now the total focus is to catch the culprits” and not get distracted by internal issues.
On September 9, a woman with her three children was on her way from Lahore to Gujranwala when her car ran out of fuel. After calling the police, she was waiting for help in the car with the doors and windows locked when two men armed with sticks and stones and smashed the car windows. The attackers severely beat up the kids and woman and dragged them to a nearby field where they gang-raped the victim and robbed her cash and jewellery.
The family was “dragged like sacrificial animals to the altar” wrote journalist Fereeha Idrees in a chilling Twitter thread after interviewing the victim’s family. When her family came, they found the woman “badly bruised, swollen feet and bleeding head and so were the children”. The woman was so terrified that she did not let police get near her children when they reached after nearly an hour. She was shivering and “refused to even recognize her friend and family” shared Fereeha. They were “completely terrorized. They did not talk for hours. The children were numb”. The woman kept crying and was inconsolable, the family said.
Enraged netizens blame justice system
Hashtags #WarAgainstRape and #HangRapistsPublicly calling for justice for the victims have been shared widely on social media by citizens, politicians and celebrities. Actor Feroze Khan said “a trial in such cases are useless. It should only be execution every Friday”. However, some people were quick to remind them that only strict law, fair and speedy trial can ensure justice, as public hangings have not deterred the rapists. “Raped in front of her children. Neither one of them will ever be able to forget or move on from this. Lives destroyed. For their justice and for safety of the rest of us women who use motorways/highways, punish the culprits” demanded one Twitter user. “How are such vile and inhuman beings allowed to roam freely in our country.” asked cricketer Shan Masood.
As the angry protestors called for harsher punishments and swift justice, women’s rights activists said the “anger and grief is justified” but what the country needs is “reforms” to protect women and children. Experts termed the tragedy a “wake-up call” and called for police and judicial reforms and education are essential to improve the criminal justice system and social structures to effectively fight the crime and injustice.
Conviction rate for rape is far lower than other crimes in the country. In Punjab, the conviction rate is hardly 10 per cent, according to War Against Rape (WAR), an organization that fights sexual violence. Over 70 per cent of the witnesses withdraw from the rape cases out of fear of lack of protection mechanisms, it said. The organization called for swift trials in violence against women and child cases to ensure speedy justice.
Women demand safety
One aspect of the social media discussion was rape prevention and safety advice for women, which infuriated some as the women demanded basic tight to safety and protection. “Many people are advising don’t go out alone or don’t drive late night or don’t wear revealing clothes. But unfortunately, this will not stop violence against women. We need better laws and justice system to feel secure,” says Maheen Khan, 21. “Why is the conversation focused on women, why are we not teaching men to stop the abuse,” said one angry netizen.
Experts call for education and training at homes, educational institutes, offices and government departments to prevent sexual violence. Some demanded rape-prevention programmes such as in Kenya that focused on self-defense classes for girls and sex education to rape myths, and training for boys to intervene if they witness an assault taking place.