A Woman who has never received justice, no other person in a similar position will have to suffer for more than four decades ,Aruna Shanbaug passes away. KEM rape case, 42 years in coma . . . . RIP
Aruna was planning to get married to a medic in the hospital.
On the night of 27 November 1973, Shanbaug was sexually assaulted by Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki, a sweeper on contract at the King Edward Memorial Hospital.[4] Sohanlal attacked her while she was changing clothes in the hospital basement. He choked her with a dog chain and sodomized her. The asphyxiation cut off oxygen supply to her brain, resulting in brain stem contusion injury and cervical cord injury apart from leaving her cortically blind.
The police case was registered as a case of robbery and attempted murder on account of the concealment of anal rape by the doctors under the instructions of the Dean of KEM, Dr. Deshpande, perhaps to avoid the social rejection of the victim,and her impending marriage.
Sohanlal was caught and convicted, and served two concurrent seven-year sentences for assault and robbery, neither for rape or sexual molestation, nor for the "unnatural sexual offence" (which could have got him a ten-year sentence by itself).
Rape’ the word itself sends across chills down the spine! Only a woman who has undergone such brutality understands the pain, dismay and disgrace that it beholds.
Now, we all know that stricter laws against rapists is necessary but the question is "How effective will it prove to be?"
It can be effective only and only if implemented properly. Lawbreakers have always found a way to evade punishment. They will find it again unless the law bodies see to it that the criminals are punished for their crime.
Having said so, it is also necessary to understand that there are many women and girls who are teased, assaulted and raped but they keep silent. They fear being, humiliated, blamed and finally expelled from the society. Due to this women are often afraid to seek legal assistance on this matter. Instead they keep such matters under secrecy which often instigate the offenders to commit the same crime over and over again. So, introducing strict laws alone won't be good enough.
We need to start at the very roots. Education seems to be the only way out of this. If people are educated they would not consider women as inferior. They would rather treat them as their equals and start respecting them. Thus, they wouldn't even consider committing such a heinous crime.
