Saturday, December 19, 2015

Know Your Rights... and Act

Nirbhaya's rapist walks free. How could we allow that? Even if he was a juvenile he has committed the crime. On the top of that, the bullshit Delhi Govt. is giving him free means of living. How could our streets ever be free if sexual violence cases don't get reported, and people like this convict are not hanged till death.

But even worse than this is that 99 cases out of 100 don't get reported, no FIR means no crime, implying no justice for the victim. And do you know why this is so? Why not these cases get reported?

1) Due to fear of victim's negative publicity.
2) Due to lack of courage.
3) Due to lack of support from victim's friends, family, society.
4) Due to lack of knowledge of basic rights in such cases.

The first three come in the category of APPROACH while the last reason for non-reporting of sexual violence cases comes in the category of ACTION. And action will only be there if one has the knowledge necessary for this action. That's why -->

Amnesty International has launched the #KnowYourRights campaign, which is a people’s rights educational program aimed at informing people of their basic rights via free educational modules on digital and physical media because knowing one’s rights gives one the confidence to take action. Tell us why you think survivors of sexual violence should come forward to report the crime and not brush it under the carpet.


As obvious in the video, most of the females don't even have the slightest idea about their rights. How could they not have an idea about this while living in a country where every second a rape happens in some part!


Why is it important to encourage reporting sexual violence?

1) What happens with the victim is morally and socially wrong. She MUST get justice for being the victim of this wrongdoing.

2) Sexual violence needs to be reported in order to get that scum off the streets and put him/them behind bars where they actually belong. The streets will be safer this way and the rest of the victim's gender population will, at the least, feel a bit safer.

3) The victim will get a Moral Victory required to deal with this kind of trauma which could be devastating. You won't be alone in this battle and it will instill confidence in one to be brave and move forward.


#KnowYourRights:

 ● Sexual violence does not only include physical harm. The law was changed in 2013 to cover a broader range of offences, including sexual harassment, voyeurism and stalking.

 ● One can file an FIR against sexual violence in any police station, not necessarily the one nearest to the incident.

 ● One can register a complaint either over phone or e-mail. But to complete the FIR registration one must visit a police station.

 ● An FIR can be filed by a friend, witness or a family member too. But they must have the full consent of the survivor and the survivor must be willing to be part of the investigations later.

 ● Police cannot refuse to file an FIR. If refused the police officer can be punished under law and you can register a complaint with higher authorities.

 ● A woman police officer must be present when you file an FIR against sexual violence

 ● After registering an FIR, one is entitled to a court-appointed lawyer.


P.S. -- I’m writing this blog post to support Amnesty International’s #KnowYourRights campaign at BlogAdda. You can also contribute to the cause by donating or spreading the word.