India hangings: Fourth woman dies in Uttar Pradesh
Beyond outrageous. Reminds many reformers of the way women and animals were treated before the first protection laws were enacted.
BBC NEWS
Thousands protest the passivity of the Indian government and the sheer ugliness of these backward traditions.
A teenager has been found hanging from a tree in a village in northern India, the fourth woman to die in such a way in recent weeks in Uttar Pradesh state.
The family of the 19-year-old say she was raped. A post mortem is under way.
It comes just one day after a woman’s body was found hanging from a tree in a remote village elsewhere in the state.
The gang rape and murder of two girls found in similar circumstances last month sparked outrage. Correspondents say more cases are now being reported.
Such attacks have long taken place in Uttar Pradesh, reports the BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi, but recent outrage over sexual violence has meant that every case is being reported to police and getting media coverage.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with more than 200 million people, is also home to a staggering number of poor and it is the poor and the disadvantaged low-caste women who are most at risk of such crimes, our correspondent adds.
The body of the latest victim was found in a village in the state’s Moradabad area, just three hours’ drive from India’s capital, Delhi.
Protesters took to the streets of Uttar Pradesh in fury after last month’s case
On Wednesday, a 44-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in the Bahraich area.
Police said she had been threatened by locals for selling liquor in the area and her family allege she was gang raped. Her post mortem proved inconclusive.
But it was the case on 29 May of two teenage girls gang raped and hanged in Badaun district that renewed a countrywide outcry over sexual violence.
The teenage girls were found hanging from a tree in the village after being gang raped
Three suspected attackers have been held in that case, along with two policemen accused of dereliction of duty and criminal conspiracy.
India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said protecting women should be a priority.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.
The government tightened laws on sexual violence last year after widespread protests following the attack.
APPENDIX: alert/ TAKE ACTION
Dear friends,
 Two young girls were hanged from a tree after being gang raped in India. Shockingly a minister just responded by saying, “rape…sometimes it’s right.” The Prime Minister must take action and we can force him by delivering a millions-strong call for an end to the rape epidemic into the city where he holds his seat. Sign now:
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I need your help. Two young girls were hanged from a tree after being gang raped in the fields outside their home in India and a minister from the ruling party just responded by saying that rape “is a social crime … sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong.”
It’s disgusting! But this isn’t an isolated incident. I’ve been attacked in front of senior policemen and nothing was done. I know the system is totally failing India’s women. But together I think we can change it.
My country’s new leader ran on the promise of rebuilding the holy city, Varanasi, where he was elected, as a major tourist hub. If we build a millions-strong global call for the protection of women and plaster it all over Prime Minister Modi’s city, he’ll be forced to act to save his tourism plan.
An ad campaign like this has never happened before in India. But this is a national crisis and it requires drastic action. Sign now — let’s get two million people to demand Modi protects India’s girls and women:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/womanifesto_modi_loc/?bjXURfb&v=40698
When the 14 and 15 year old girls went missing, one girl’s dad went to the police and fell in front of them on his hands and knees pleading for them to do something. They laughed at him and told him to go home. This appalling police inaction happens to countless families across India that face this horror. After the international furore, five guys were finally arrested and two police officers have been dismissed. But every 22 minutes someone is raped in India and the police, the judiciary, and even ministers are failing us!
Before the elections a massive movement was building to get urgent action to stop violence against women. Experts drafted a Womanifesto — a common sense plan for urgently needed reforms to stop the rape epidemic. It covers law, policing, medical and psychological support, and crucially — public education. Other major parties signed up to it, but Modi ignored it.
Even Modi’s staff agree with most of the plan. Now we just need him to put it into action.
So far, Modi has said nothing about the crime against these two poor girls, or about his party colleague’s insult. But Modi has just started in office, and now is our chance to influence his priorities. Let’s get two million of us to boldly call for action in his home constituency. Sign up now:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/womanifesto_modi_loc/?bjXURfb&v=40698
The shock of seeing this photo can paralyse us with sadness, or it can spur us into action. Women across my country are demanding an end to this rape culture and are fighting to achieve equality and safety for all. Please stand with us now to end this violence!
With hope,
Alaphia, with the Avaaz team
More Information:
India state minister on rape: ‘Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong’
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/05/india-state-minister-rape-crimes-comment
Another girl found hanging in Uttar Pradesh. Rape attempt on judge
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-another-girl-found-hanging-in-uttar-pradesh-rape-attempt-on-judge-1993315
Modi unveils ‘Five Ts’: BJP’s PM candidate says Talent, Tourism, Tech, Trade and Tradition are the watchwords for India’s future
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2542285/Modi-unveils-Five-Ts-BJPs-PM-candidate-says-Talent-Tourism-Tech-Trade-Tradition-watchwords-Indias-future.html
Horrified at reports of violence against women in India: US on Badaun Rape case
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/horrified-at-reports-of-violence-against-women-in-india-us-on-badaun-rape-case-535671
Police Use Water Cannons On Women In India Protesting Rape
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/02/3443632/photos-police-use-water-cannons-on-women-in-india-…
