We condemn the horrific rape and murder of a young female doctor in Kolkata, India. Sexual violence, rape and killing of women everywhere must stop now.

The South Asian Movement for Accessing Justice (SAMAJ) and Equality Now stand in solidarity and condemn the brutal rape and murder of a female trainee doctor in Kolkata, India, and all other victims of rape and violence in India. 

As a feminist platform and organisation dedicated to ending sexual violence against women and girls across South Asia, we stand together in solidarity with every person protesting across India, condemning the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor inside RG Kar hospital in Kolkata, India. We are deeply shocked by the terrible reports of cruelty inflicted upon this young woman, and we join in demanding justice for this crime.

Even as we recoil over the details of this case, we read of many other cases of sexual violence from across India. On 15 August, police in Bihar recovered the mutilated body of a 14-year-old Dalit girl who was gang-raped and beaten to death with a sickle. One of the suspected perpetrators is said to have abducted the girl after she rejected his advances for marriage. He is reported to be a man from a dominant caste. Just one day later, on 16 August, police in Uttarakhand recovered the mutilated body of a nurse who was raped and murdered on her way home from work.  

Official statistics for rapes in India have been reported at over 80 a day. This is about one every 16 minutes. The actual number is thought to be much higher. Yet the response of Indian law enforcement remains severely lacking. While Indian legal frameworks on sexual violence are robust, the implementation of the law and access to justice is weak.  

According to the 2021 report ‘Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal & Other Barriers to Justice’ by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, the conviction rates for rape in India are abysmally low, despite the alarmingly high prevalence of sexual violence. Police inaction, inadequate, lengthy investigation and mishandling in the collection of evidence were identified as some of the key barriers that affect how cases progress through the criminal justice system. Initial reports on the handling of evidence of the Kolkata rape and murder case indicate a similar pattern. Th report also highlights justice sector’s lack of a victim-centered, gendered approach, lengthy delays in trials, continuation of intrusive practices such as the two-finger test, and the pressure for extralegal settlements contributing toward perpetrators of sexual violence going unpunished. 

Accountability for rape is even harder to achieve if victims are from marginalised communities.  Equality Now’s report, Justice Denied: Sexual Violence & Intersectional Discrimination – Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana, India, suggests hegemonic power dynamics contribute to rape being used as a weapon of oppression against Dalit women and girls and highlights the extreme challenges faced by women and girls from marginalised communities to access the legal system and receive justice for rape.

As SAMAJ, its members, and Equality Now continue our collective efforts to combat these issues, we urgently call for the stronger implementation of sexual violence laws, better enforcement of existing protections, accountability from all institutions involved, and immediate action from the Government of India to address systemic failures that prevent perpetrators of sexual violence crimes from being held accountable. 

This includes the need to put in place legal and policy measures that ensure better facilities and protection for women from sexual harassment, abuse, and violence in workplaces. We also advocate for the elimination of discriminatory legal practices, the need for proper evidence-collection, prompt investigations into sexual crimes through a dedicated investigative branch, the strengthening of survivor-centric support systems, and the enhancement of judicial processes to ensure timely and fair trials and justice for sexual offences.

Our hearts are with the families of all victims of rape, and our commitment is to do everything we can to create real and lasting prevention of and accountability for rape. Only through unified, decisive action can a safer, more just future for all women and girls be ensured. Sexual violence against women and girls must end, and it must end now.