Bhubaneswar: While at one time the state government is making much hullabaloo initiating measures to stop the growing incidents of minor girl rapes, it has miserably failed to protect the rape survivors in Odisha from ending life resorting to suicide.
The government and police could neither provide justice to Kunduli victim, nor were they able to stop the Banapur rape victim from ending her life. Even the recent incident under Sasana police limits in Sambalpur where a minor girl gang raped on May 2 by six persons allegedly hanged herself on May 23, has raised eyebrows of one and many on the lackadaisical attitude of the government.
Soon after the minor girl committed suicide, her family members alleged that they were being threatened by a few accomplices of the six accused. What was more shocking is that the family revealed that an unidentified person had come to their house yesterday to threaten them, which they have cited as the main reason which forced her to commit suicide.
The six accused have been lodged in jail and their hearing is underway at the fast-track court, sources said.
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However, it has been alleged that police did not take any action even after a complaint was lodged by the girl’s family about being threatened.
“My daughter was raped and then continuously we had been getting threat of calls. They threatened to kill my daughter and son,” said the girl’s father.
Her mother cried, “They called my daughter to school and raped her. We never expected anything like this to happen. Those who have destroyed my daughter’s life, their life will also get ruined in the same way.”
Though police is yet to comment on the allegations leveled by her family, it remains to be seen how the government tackles this situation and curbs spread of the epidemic of ‘Minor Girl Rape’.
“The survivors need psychological support to face all such difficult situations. They need to be mentally strong and for that proper counseling is required,” said Women's rights activist Namrata Chadha.