E-Paper
Victim in confinement, accused at large
ALREADY THE injured party, the Ashiana rape victim has now started suffering from the additional emotional trauma of her captive life in a protection home. The victim has been leading a life of virtual captivity in the State Protection Home since May 9, 2005 while the accused in the case are out on bail for the last several months. A strong and resolute girl otherwise, the victim is now losing hope of getting justice and leading a normal life.
ALREADY THE injured party, the Ashiana rape victim has now started suffering from the additional emotional trauma of her captive life in a protection home. The victim has been leading a life of virtual captivity in the State Protection Home since May 9, 2005 while the accused in the case are out on bail for the last several months. A strong and resolute girl otherwise, the victim is now losing hope of getting justice and leading a normal life.
At the age of 14 she is leading a life of confinement and is deprived even from the love and care of her parents. The incident took place on May 2, 2005 and the proceedings for the case started in the Sessions Court on May 6, 2006.
After the incident, the victim was sent to a protection home because of security reasons. The delay in the case has prolonged her stay at the home, which in turn has started showing its effect on the victim.
“My daughter cries when I go to meet her. She wants to come back home and lead a normal life, be her normal self and breath fresh air. She has not come put of the protection home for months. Why is she being jailed for no fault of hers?
We can meet her only twice a month that too for just half an hour. Is this justice? She is not a criminal she is a victim. So, why is such treatment being meted out to her. If the state thinks she needs protection, they should give her protection at home and not at the cost of her future,” said Saluman, the victim’s mother.
The parents are facing a hard time too. On one hand, Sabruddin the father had to sell off two of his buffaloes to meet the expense of fighting the case, while on the other hand they miss their daughter and her agony pains them. They sold off two of their buffaloes for Rs 40,000. They spend about Rs 200 on every visit that thay make to the home.
