Even toddlers are not safe from rape.
Dear friends across India,
Even toddlers are not safe from rape. Delhi is in the streets in protest against the brutal kidnapping and violation of a five-year-old girl, but there are no words, no marches that match this degree of brutality and violence.
It must stop.
Our society, our courts, our police, our schools, our families, our government is tacitly allowing this to happen. She is five years old -- we have lost our moral compass -- this is terrorism on our children! But this is not an isolated incident -- it is a national emergency that cannot be dealt with by an inquiry, or a committee -- we need PM Singh to take firm and urgent action now to attack the culture of rape and launch a public education campaign to end India's war on it's women and children:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/delhi_rape/?byTYUcb&v=24462
The doctor who treated Delhis little rape survivor said, This is the first time I have seen such barbarism with a five-year-old. The rapes are horrifying and the political and police response just makes it worse --
Police tried to bribe this five-year-olds father to hush up the case, police assaulted peaceful protesters and many of our law-makers face rape charges!
More than 53% of Indian children experience some form of sexual abuse - thats one in every two children! In the rare cases when families do approach the police, the childs trauma is made worse by an untrained police force that either refuses to register the case or says openly that they dont believe the survivors story. For women survivors, the story is similar -- every 20 minutes somewhere in India a woman is raped. This is a problem in all parts of our society, and only a solution that aims to change the way our society sees women and girls will work.
Its election time, and that gives us a new chance to win our campaign. Lets come together to demand that PM Singh immediately launch a mass public advertising campaign, with 5000 crores behind it, to stop the rapes. Click below to join in:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/delhi_rape/?byTYUcb&v=24462
When President Pranab Mukherjee approved a shoddy anti-rape ordinance, thousands of Avaaz members sent faxes to his office protesting his failure to protect the women of India. We need to come together again and tell our politicians that the only way to end the rape epidemic is to change the culture that lets rape flourish.
With hope and determination,
Alaphia, Meredith, Patricia, Alice, Emma, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS - Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue - local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=24462
MORE INFORMATION
Delhi rape victims health better; police arrest second accused (Times of India):
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-rape-victims-health-better-police-arrest-second-accused/articleshow/19672192.cms
5-year-old rape victims ordeal shocks and shames Delhi (NDTV):
http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/5-year-old-rape-victim-s-ordeal-shocks-and-shames-delhi-356204
Delhi minors rape protest: ACP slaps girl protester, suspended (Jagran Post):
http://post.jagran.com/delhi-minors-rape-protest-1366380181
Cops try to hush up 5-year-olds rape case and then beat woman protester (India Today video):
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/rape-in-delhi-cops-beat-women-protesters/1/266621.html
India: Child sex abuse shielded by silence and neglect (Human Rights Watch):
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/07/india-child-sex-abuse-shielded-silence-and-neglect
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