These days there are many girls, who after a whole night outing…wake up with a terrible hangover and a confused thought, “what happened last night?” and then groaned, when the bits and pieces came jogging back to the memory. Luckily there were with friends or loved ones. But there are some who aren’t so lucky.
Recently a South African model of Indian descent, who was aspiring to be a Bollywood star, was allegedly gangraped after being drugged late on December 28 night. In her mid-20s, the model was staying at Hotel Bawa International in suburban Vile Parle. The police said the woman, after a dinner party, went to the hotel pub around 11 pm. Two persons, who had allegedly tried to befriend her, drugged her drink when she went to the toilet leaving it unattended.
The two took the woman in their vehicle and allegedly raped her there. They then took her to another hotel and raped her again. The police said there was prima facie evidence that the woman was raped several times. “This is evident from her wounds,†said a police officer. She was beaten with a belt when she resisted, he said.
The youths dropped the woman near her house between 5 pm and 6 pm on December 29 after which she filed a complaint. A medical check-up on Friday confirmed rape. The police have arrested two youths, Sunil Multhani and Suresh Krishnani, in this connection. The police were able to arrest the culprits without taking much time, since the victim acted fast and reported a complaint without wasting time and also cause of the pressure put in by the South African consulate on the Mumbai Police.
“Date-rape drugs” or “predator”, as they are called, have been around for some years in the United States and are becoming more and more common in urban India, especially amongst the middle classes and more affluent sections of society. These drugs render the victim physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, create dis-orientation in time and space and even induce memory lapse. Being colorless and odorless, spiking a drink is simple and its potency is double that of many other drugs. And worst of all, most these drugs are easily available at local medical stores without any doctor’s prescription.
Many times girls are raped not by strangers, but by persons they know, who may be friends or boyfriends. The notion that a decent, educated person cannot be a rapist is continuously challenged in date rape cases. The assailant need not be a stranger who assaults the victim in a dark alley, it can easily be someone they have recently met or even a friend. In 2003, a college student from Goa was offered a cigarette by a group of boys she knew, after she smoked it, she cannot recall what happened until she gained consciousness and realised that she had been gang raped. And that too not by strangers, but by boys she hung out with.
The scars of any form of rape are long-lasting. The process of recovery is often less physical and more psychological. Being raped on a date by someone you know is a traumatic experience, leaving most victims feeling partially responsible. They feel they must have encouraged the person or dressed in a seductive manner and many cases are left unreported out of fear of social stigma. The only way to overcome such trauma, is that there should be a strong will to seek justice.
However prevention is always better than cure. Being less adventurous on a night out minimises the chances of date rape and most importantly, there is no point thinking this will never happen to me – every victim of date rape has thought that before. The bottom line is be responsible for oneself, even when in company of well-trusted friends. Trust your judgment and your instincts.
What does the law state ?
Under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, rape is forced sexual intercourse with an adult woman without her consent or when consent is obtained by fear. Date rape is rape where the victim knows the rapist, either closely or casually. The assault in this case is usually drug-facilitated. Goa police records reveal that in 14 of the 17 rape cases reported till July 2004, the victims knew the rapist.
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[...] Sakshi on date-rape – Being raped on a date by someone you know is a traumatic experience, leaving most victims feeling partially responsible. They feel they must have encouraged the person or dressed in a seductive manner and many cases are left unreported out of fear of social stigma. The only way to overcome such trauma, is that there should be a strong will to seek justice. [...]
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