Rape Culture and Victim Blaming in a 14-Year-Old Rape And Murder Case

12/04/2022

Jayantika Rao Tiruvaloor Viavoori

Women’s Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

After returning from a birthday party, a 14-year-old girl died from injuries she sustained after being gang-raped in Nadia district of West Bengal, India. According to her parents, after coming back from the party, the young girl was experiencing severe abdominal pain and was bleeding profusely. Unfortunately, before getting her proper medical aid, the girl died.

On Saturday (April 9), five days after the incident and the victim’s death, the parents lodged a complaint at the local police station. After scrutiny from police and politicians, the victim’s mother revealed their delay in filing a complaint was because they were threatened by the perpetrator’s family and friends (Kundu and Mondal, 2022). The main accused who has been detained is Brajgopal Goala (21), the son of a member of the local Gram Panchayat who has allegiance to the ruling party, Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The discourse shifted when on April 11, West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a shocking statement about the victim and her family. Mamata Banerjee victim-blamed and argued that “will you call it rape? … I was told the girl had an affair with the boy” (Kundu and Mondal, 2022). Through her statement, it was clear that she questioned if the victim was ‘actually’ raped or if she had an affair with the accused that resulted in a pregnancy.

Mamata Banerjee’s statement is utterly unacceptable as she victim blames and trivialises the issue, which speaks about the rape culture in the State. Moreover, her statement where she defends her party member’s son accused of rape and murder has created a political and social uproar in the State.

Sources and Further Reading

Chattopadhyay, Suhrid Sankar. (2022, April 11). The Alleged Rape And Death Of A Minor Girl Sparks Huge Social And Political Outcry In West Bengal. Frontline.  Retrieved from https://frontline.thehindu.com/dispatches/the-alleged-rape-and-death-of-a-minor-girl-causes-huge-social-and-political-outcry-in-west-bengal/article38471677.ece

Express News Service. (2022, April 11). West Bengal: TMC Leader’s son held for rape & murder of 14-year-old. The Indian Express. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/west-bengal-14-year-old-girl-gangraped-dies-tmc-leader-son-detained-7863001/

Kundu, Indrajit and Mondal, Rittick. (2022, April 11). “Was she Raped, or was she pregnant after Love Affair? Mamata Banerjee after 14-year old’s rape, murder.” India Today. Retrieved from https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/was-it-a-rape-she-was-pregnant-mamata-banerjee-raises-questions-on-reports-of-minor-s-rape-in-wb-1936127-2022-04-11