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At a time when the case of the alleged sexual harassment and rape by a tattoo artist in Kerala has opened a can of worms, a statement by former Health Minister KK Shailaja on Tuesday, 8 March, has come as a shock to many.
Speaking at a Women's Day programme organised by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), Shailaja Teacher, as she is fondly called, said,
"Why are you (survivors) waiting years to file a complaint? Once someone makes an unwanted statement or gives you an unwelcome look or touches you inappropriately, you should report it immediately. You should tell the man that you are a person with integrity and complete freedom."KK Shailaja
This comes after six complaints were registered, accusing PS Sujeesh, an artist from Inkfected Tattoo Studio in Ernakulam's Edappally, of rape, sexual assault, and molestation. He had been absconding for three days, but surrendered late Saturday night. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
The allegations of sexual assault and rape came to light after an 18-year-old survivor shared a post on Reddit detailing her experience with Sujeesh. The post is said to have set off a storm of '#MeToo' allegations against him. Many of the complaints date back to 2018 and a few of the survivors have shared their apprehensions about filing complaints, as there is no clear evidence.
Shailaja pointed out that the survivors should have spoken up earlier and stopped it right when the traumatic incident had happened.
"If you don’t have the courage to speak up and if you don’t have the integrity, then what’s the point of your education? Use your education bravely. Men and women should collectively stop these ills from prevailing in society," she added.
At least 25 women have spoken up on social media and their posts have gone viral. But the survivors told The Quint that they believed their complaints wouldn't be treated seriously as the incidents occurred a few years ago.
"The problem with my case is that I have no evidence so I don't think I'll be taken seriously. I didn't put up any stories, I paid by cash and don't even have the bills," said a survivor.
Meanwhile, many on social media have registered their disagreement to the former minister's statements.
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