Page 25 - January 2020 IIssue new year

Changing Facets Of Sexual Offences - An Indian Outlook

Judicial Officers attending a traumatic life. Its grav- to be treated with dignity
the party and freely mix- ity is not in the injury to and compassion and as-
ing around with criminals the body, alone but in the sured that their decision of

of the wanted category. injury to self-esteem and getting the accused to the
When the custodians of self-respect. The physical book is respected.

law are hand in glove with battling and assault which
those who accompany rape are not The prevailing view,
are actually only what constitutes rape which with great respect

running but it is the injuries added needs reconsideration is,
the whole to the insult. that women who cannot

criminal be held as chaste or inno-
show what Victims of this sexual cent are not raped as their
can be the assault have survived a consent is presumed. Rape

fate of the horrifying, humiliating, has nothing to do with in-
rights of degrading, brutalizing, nocence and chastity, nor

the weaker angering, demeaning and does it require blood to be
sex. dehumanizing experience. spilt or minds to be lost.
Rape is the most serious The act of rape is the most

Rape violation of a person’s violent abuse of a wom-
body because it deprives an’s body, privacy, modes-

While all the victims of both physi- ty, autonomy and will. It is
rapes re- cal and emotional privacy an act of unrestrained hos-
sult in total and autonomy. When the tility and anger, an assault

emotional offence of rape occurs, the unique in the degradation
devastation, victim’s sense of self as it inflicts. The suffering,

child rapes well as her body is abused mental agony and trauma
particularly without consent. She loses it causes is profound and
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her most basic human the scars that are imprint-
inflict gross physical need right: Control of her ed on the memory of vic-
damage on the victim. physical and emotional of tim never heal completely.

Rape is the most hor- self. The victim’s psycho- The community and the
rendous of the sexual logical response to rape law must be responsible
offences even more disas- primarily reflects her reac- for the scarcely veiled

ters than murder for the tion to violation of self. threat “They’ll never be-
victim continues to lead Therefore, they deserve lieve you.”

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