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Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Under fire for his statement asking parents to introspect what minor girls were doing on a beach at night, during when they were raped, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that his statement was taken 'out of context.' But parents and girl students in Goa are not convinced.
The two girls were allegedly raped by four men, who posed as cops, near Benaulim beach on 25 July. They also beat up their friends who were with them. All four accused have been arrested.
But CM Sawant's statements questioning parents' responsibilities have drawn a lot of flak from the state's citizens.
During a debate in the House on 28 July, he had said, “When 14-year-olds stay on the beach the whole night, the parents need to introspect. Just because children don’t listen, we cannot put the responsibility on the government and police.”
Speaking to The Quint, Goa-based Joanne Albuquerque, a parent of two teenagers, asked why the government is always blaming the victim.
Between 2017-2020, Goa recorded 286 rape cases in the state. In the last four years, activists say, the rape cases have increased in the state adding that victim blaming has been the core of crimes against women.
15-year-old Athena Souza, a resident of Panaji, says that it's not fair to blame parents for such incidents. She says parents cannot be expected to lock-up their teenagers.
Anisya Sheth, an undergraduate student, said that young women are sick of being told what to wear and where to go – because men do not know how to respect fellow human beings.
Sheth's mother, said that it is not just her daughter, but she too does not feel safe going out at night.
A group of four girls and six boys, including two minor girls and a minor boy, visited Benaulim Beach at 11:30 pm on Saturday, 24 July. Due to poor weather conditions, some of them left early. Three boys and the two minor girls were left behind.
The incident took place around 3:30 am. The four accused approached the two minor girls – and later allegedly raped them. They then beat up the three boys. The group was then asked to go home, according to the Times of India.
The accused have been booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Goa Children's Act and have been remanded in four days of police custody.
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Published: 01 Aug 2021,09:29 AM IST