“The victim is as guilty as her rapists.”
Rajanish Kakade / AP
Last year on Dec. 16, a 23-year-old medical intern in India's capital of New Delhi was brutally raped. Her rapists penetrated her with a rod and tore her inner organs out. She died 13 days later. Before she died, she told the police to "burn them alive."
One of the six accused rapists hanged himself in prison. The youngest accused was a juvenile and was sentenced to only three years in prison. Four others were found guilty on all counts of murder and rape and face their sentencing on Friday, Sept. 13. India has demanded their death, and the four face the possibility of hanging.
On Aug. 22, a 23-year-old photojournalist from Mumbai was gang raped by a group of five men who had allegedly preyed on 10 other women before being arrested for their heinous crimes.
The brutality and frequency of these rapes have made international headlines, tarnishing India's reputation.
While ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to protest these savage crimes and demand justice, it is shocking to note that the people who lead them often have the worst notions about rape, not only in India, but the world over.
Here are 22 really awful things people have said about rape:
The 14-year-old victim was "as much in control of the situation" as her 54-year-old rapist.
— Todd Baugh, a Montana judge who sentenced a rapist to 30 days in jail
Baugh sentenced a teacher who allegedly raped his student to 30 days in prison because the student he raped was “older than her chronological age.”
AP/Matt Brown
Choose between a "promiscuous culture" and a "safe environment."
— Satyapal Singh, Mumbai police commissioner, after the recent gang rape in Mumbai
"We have to strike a balance. On the one hand you want to have a promiscuous culture and on the other hand you want a safe and secure environment for the people.”
“Should couples be allowed to kiss in public?…Should they be allowed to indulge in all obscene things?”
Danish Siddiqui / Reuters
