No Justice After 16 Years for the #Suryanelli #Gang #Rape Victim!
In 1996, in the town of Suryanelli, in Kerala, a 16-year-old girl was abducted and brutally gang-raped by 42 men over a 40 day period. She was tied up, and transported place to place throughout the state, and raped by various men at various points. When she was finally dumped by the rapists and taken to the hospital the doctors said her groin and private areas were so savaged, and she had bled so much that a few more days, and she would be dead! The victim however found courage and named and identified her rapists. One of them was Kurien who she recognized and identified from a photograph. During her captivity one day she was told that an “important” man would be “visiting” her. She didn’t know who he was at the time, but begged him to spare her and rescue her since he had the power to. He didn’t. Later, she saw his face in a newspaper and recognized him instantly.
On September 06, 2000, a special court found 35 of the men involved guilty and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for varying terms.
The Kerala High Court, however overturned this ruling. It acquitted all 35 convicted rapists and found only one of them (the man who kidnapped and ‘sold’ the girl) guilty of crimes related to the sex trade and sentenced him to a 5 years jail term and a fine of Rs 50,000. The reason for the acquittal was political pull, specially that of the accused P.J. Kurien, who was a former Union Minister and member of the Congress party the current party in power! Of course all men had to be acquitted together, since they were in the crime together, otherwise they would have testifyed against each other! The police made no other arrests in the case!
click to hear the interview
The court that acquitted Kurien and the others said they had a witness testifying that Kurien was not in the guest house at the time of the rape. However, that same said that he actually testified that he had seen Kurien in the guest house, around the time the victim was raped there! He said the police officer in charge had changed his statement to protect Kurien, and a number of bribes were also offered to him for his silence! Furthermore, the one man convicted in the case has also testified that Kurien was in the guest house but that he was pressurized by the investigating officer to not testify against Kurien! Despite thisthe government has refused to remove Kurien from office and re-try his case with the new evidence emerging against him!
Over the years, the victim and her family had to move houses constantly, and still continue to be ostracized by society, and face harassment from various quarters. The harassment increased because the victim refused to retract Kurien’s name from the list of men who had raped her!
Watch the video above to understand how this victim and her family have been further victimized by the political system over the last 16 years.
In January 2013, the government of India released a new anti-rape law in response to the ground-breaking Verma Committee report on rape and sexual violence on women in India. Of the many recommendations of the Verma Committee, a key one was for the government to ensure that no politician charge-sheeted with rape be allowed to be in office, which the law in India currently permits.
The government however made a complete MOCKERY of this recommendation. On February 19, when the Rape Ordinance was discussed in Parliament it was chaired by P. J. Kurien !
Govt continues to ignore women’s protest to remove and try Kurien
The mother of the victim, had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, who is also Kurien’s boss, saying, “… How can he (Kurien) chair the discussions when the ordinance aiming at the emancipation of womanhood in India promulgated by the Union of India with regard to the sexual offences against women in the Upper House of Parliament…(is about to be considered).” But Sonia Gandhi has her own vested interest in protecting rapist politicians, since many of them are in her party, and had organized the rape of Sikh women in Delhi in 1984! For more click here.
However, there was worse! The most humiliating blow to the Suryanelli victim was delivered in May 2013 by the U.S. organization Women Deliver, when invited Kurien as a guest speaker at their global conference on women’s reproductive rights! Later, Women Deliver just swerved past this blow they had served to the Suryanelli victim by saying, they didn’t know! They never even apologized directly to the victim! TO READ OUR POST ON THIS TO TELL WOMEN DELIVER TO OFFICIALLY APOLOGIZE CLICK HERE.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION DEMANDING KURIEN BE SACKED IMMEDIATELY AND RETRIED WITH THE NEW EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM! YOU CAN ALSO TWEET YOUR PROTEST TO @PMOIndia or email the Prime Minister here
Trackbacks
- Let’s Have More Girls! « JPF Goodman
- Connected Documentaries: Repo | Gray White & Black
- Reflecting on Being a South Asian Woman in 2013 - masalamommas.com
- Ask @PMOIndia: Can Violent Cops Stop #Violence on #Women? #DelhiRapeProtests | GENDER EQUAL: A BLOG ON INDIA'S FEMALE GENDERCIDE
- Fragen Sie den indischen Premierminister: Kann eine gewalttätige Polizei Gewalt gegen Frauen stoppen? | “50 Million Missing” - 50 Millionen verschwunden
- A Global #Women’s #Conference Invites A Gang #Rape Accused As Speaker? | THE 50 MILLION MISSING CAMPAIGN BLOG ON INDIA'S FEMALE GENDERCIDE
He not only should be sacked but put behind bars as per law.Rapist has no right to stay outside and influence the witnesses or threaten then in course of justice pending with SC
Absolutely. Specially now that there is new evidence emerging that the police etc. tried to suppress victims and help cover up for Kurien!
It is insanity to allow this man to have ANYTHING to do with rape laws! WAKE UP INDIA and support 100% all who are fighting on behalf of women & children!
Absolutely how can a rapist have a place in dealing with rape laws ? Kurien shueld be behind bars not on the law making position. shame on you sonia
Jail him for good!
Kill it. It is not human. It is a monster.
AGAINST RAPIST!
This is a sad part of democracy in India. There should rigid law to punish the victims of rapist and save the victims from future attack from of women of the country.
He must not be allowed to chair this commission. It wil be a travesty of justice.
Though I live in the US, I still consider myself an Indian. Unfortunately, with men like this Kurien, and many, many more just like him in India, I am ashamed to be an Indian. And instead of acquitting all those 35 and protecting people like this corrupt politician, all of them should be publicly stoned…
Sonia Gandhi is a wise woman and she should know that there are many talented outstanding Indian personalities who could do justice if she choses one from among them instead of Mr Kurien unless she has undisclosable compulsions…
Wise? Maybe the word is ‘clever’? Because think of it like this: she throws out this one man from her party, and then there are many who she’s still protecting who incited rape of Sikh women in Delhi in ’84 right? She needs those rapists in her party to keep her in power doesn’t she? Has a single one of those politicians from ’84 in the Congress been even tried. Not at long as Sonia occupies the chair!
Rape in any form is repulsive and degrades MEN on all levels, with whatever rationalization you can muster I can rebut with “wrong”, but if you think taking something from someone weaker than you by force, is acceptable, come see me in Brooklyn… I’ll be weaker than you for 1.2 seconds…
… on your mark… get set…
…
#idontwanttoliveonthisplanetanymore…
Dam, people dieing and being brutalized this way is horrible. These are the growing pains of a nation and the world. And we all want them to stop. But this situation, if haddled wrong will make things worse not better, in the long run.
HE HAS ONLY BEEN ACCUSED! Not convicted, at least not in court.
I for one, think it is a perfectly rediculous idea that any politician would be removed on accusation alone. That is monumentally poor law! I would ask that this man recuse himself, or stand trial.
He was convicted and then removed on the basis of a false statement that he wasn’t there in the guest house. However the witnesses have said that the investigating officer had changed their statement and pressurized them not to testify. Otherwise too, the victims identification is prime. Anyone with any kind of rap sheet should never be allowed to run for any office. This happens only in corrupt India!!!
I dnt undstd how cm a rapist be a chairman of such commitee why govt is acting like a handicapped .Such kind of people should be hanged
I dnt undstd how cm a rapist be a chairman of such commitee why govt is acting like a handicapped .Such kind of people should be hanged .It is a time we should stop commenting & start reacting to such matters
This is the sad part of Indian democracy. Majority of members of the parliament is supporting Kurian who is undoubtedly raped the young girl. What we can do about it?
What a strong woman. How many of us would continue to fight while our family was being punished?
And furthermore what is wrong with the other women that they don’t group together and fight against such barbaric, demeaning, sadistic behavioral!
When is enough going to be enough!!!!
Kurien ko fasi dene ki jagah usko promotion mat de
I agree, while on this pls read my post on the Anti-Rape Law – http://wp.me/p1dZc2-d6
Feedback and comments welcome.
Corruption is so endemic here that, in effect, the country is run by criminals akin to a mafia( though less well organized ! )….I believe that the Hindu faith hasn’t helped, as it appears to me to only promote the self over others ( family ‘duties’ notwithstanding )…many people do not develop a social conscience and certainly have no concept of civic responsibility…and at the extreme end of the scale, manage to keep their jobs after being implicated in the most heinous of crimes. Politicians in the west lose their jobs for making illicit expenses claims…and rightly so….It’s time these Indian criminals should be made to pay for their crimes. Indians with a conscience, stand up and be counted! I know you are out there.
What is wrong with the world…..?!!!!!!?
It begs belief that such powerful women have been in the same room as this man. I am truly appalled.
Maybe we need to lobby these women too – why should Hilary Clinton hold such a powerful position if she’s not prepared to ‘step up’ and denounce this horrendous man.
I am totally at a loss to understand the meaning of the Conference where such a distinguished personality is an honourable invitee and a speaker. This a sample of a Member of Parliament in our democracy of which we are so proud. We back slap ourselves and sing HAMARA BHARAT MAHAN.
it is unbelievable that men could do this to anyone let alone a child and it is disgusting that we live in a world that allows these atrocities to occur and thinks that it will go away over time. The world if full of people who believe they are invincible once they get into power or hold religious positions. They protect themselves within groups of like minded, self serving individuals twisting truth, morality and justice to appease their sickness. If India is ever to hold its head up, these men have to be brought to justice, it is a sickness that hangs over and clouds any good that exists not just in India, but any country that doesn’t feel the urgency to protect the innocent and bring the perpetrators to justice quickly and without hesitation. I feel disgusted, ashamed and can’t imagine how this young girls has coped, the damage to her body is just overwhelming, my heart goes out to her and her family. Stay strong.
Thank God Americans have higher standards and society does not shun or harass victims here. Now i see why these countries hate Americans. We don’t stand for such behavior and we actually care for victims.
Are there no heinous crimes like this in other countries? Do you not have rapists and killers running free like this there?
Stop voting for politician who don’t care. How come that year after year crime against women are continuing and people are voting for these politicians who are not doing anything to stop what is happening and yet you have a woman at head and is not helping to stop such monstrosity from happening.
Stop voting these people in office.
Time to boycott India. A sad demorcracy.
I applaud this young woman’s strength and courage. I pray she will find the justice and peace she deserves.
He deserves the death penalty. Every man only thinks about sex and perversion there (it’s not just the words I had been in this country) … a sick nation.
Barbaric! how can a person torture a woman like this? guess its time to follow the taliban system of punishment–immediate and more than equal punishment -in public too
It is India every political man can do what Kurian had done and hold the highest position as well.
In March 2013, P.J. Kurien was the official delegate from India at Pope Francis’ inauguration ceremony at the Vatican. He is reportedly an important vote bank for the Congress.
Is this the nation that all the Ministers who have been assasinated has died for. They need a complete overhaul. Sonia Ghandi should decide whether she is a woman first and a minister after, and she should stand up and be counted. It must be done, and she, as a woman should start the ball rolling.
I personally think the women should band together, hunt down their rapists and castrate them, obviously the Indian government (and the male citizens) choose to be ignorant of the pain and suffering the women go through, and because of their corrupted law system, raping in India is most likely no different than petty theft. Aside from protesting and writing letters, they obviously need a better way to convince the government to clean up their act.
We know Ms. Sonia Gandhi is the most powerful political leader at present time in India ruling government. She is honored openly to the up position then the Premier of India.But we should keep in mind that Ms. Sonia though a woman and although she sincerely upholds all the best wishes to welfare of women of India but unfortunately she stands on a complete men dominated deep rooted political establishment in India where she becomes simply helpless to ignore the man politician’s ugly wills even. So friends be assemble together man-woman both and decide whether the India would ruled by these ugly minded man politicians or generate more women leadership continuously from every parts of the country!! We will remain with all attempts for the women friendly India where women would be honored like men equally.
And what do we tell the Sikh women who have been asking us why Sonia Gandhi protects the politicians in her party who were complicit in the rape and massacre of Sikhs under her husband’s directives?