Youth gets 7 yrs jail for raping woman

A youth has been sent to seven years in jail for raping and threatening a woman, with a Delhi court terming it a "vile and reprehensible" act that brought the feeling of humiliation, disgust,trauma and lifelong scar to the victim.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain handed down the jail term to 22-year-old Haseeb, a UP native, for raping the woman, a domestic help in the house where he worked as a tailor, saying the convict has "committed the vile act of rape upon the prosecutrix ....
"(It) is universally considered to be among the most morally and physically, reprehensible crime in society and assault on the body, mind, privacy of the victim. Her dignity is shredded. The social stigma attached to this crime is such that many a times, a crime would go unreported by the victim."

The court, which directed Delhi Legal Service Authority (South District) to decide the appropriate compensation to be awarded to the victim, also said, "courtsmust be responsive totheplightofvictim of sexual assault. Society's belief and value systems need to be kept uppermostinmindasrape is the worstformofwoman's oppression."
"Forciblesexualassaultbringsinhumiliation, feeling ofdisgust,tremendous, embarrassment,senseofshame,trauma andlifelongemotionalscartoa victim," it said.
According to the police on October 3, 2015 Haseeb raped the woman when she was alone in the house where she worked as a domestic help. He also wrongfully confined her and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone, it said. The woman informed her husband about the assault four days later after which the complaint was lodged.

"The courtsarealivetothesocialrealitiesofIndian societywherewomen finditverydifficulttocomeoutof the closetandreportsuchmattersto policeforfearof humiliation.Ifthedelayiswellexplained,Courtwill accept thesameandnotattachanysignificancetothesame.

"Theprosecutrixisamarriedwomanandmotherofsix children.Whensuchawomanisraped,shewilltakemorethan usualtime tocometotermswiththementalandphysical traumabeforegathering couragetofightoutfromthe accused," the judge said.
"Poor economicconditionisagreatanathemaandbaneto thequestforjusticein anysystem. Sameholdstrueforthe prosecutrixandherhusbandinthe presentcase. Ittookher acoupleofdaystotalktoherhusbandfirst and thentwo days moretoreportthemattertothepolice...
"Itisalsotobe noted that in such incidents where social stigma is attached, the complainantthinksnumberof timesbeforegoingtothepolicestationto lodgethereport. She gotterrifiedandscared.Shecouldnotmustercourageto immediately reporttheincidenttoherhusband. Thedelayin lodgingtheFIRisthusof noconsequence," he said.