Tarun Tejpal acquittal | Over 300 women's groups, activists and academicians slam verdict
The Hindu
In a joint statement, they said it will deter women from fighting rape cases as it puts the survivor, and not the accused, in the dock
The judgement acquitting Tarun Tejpal by a Goa court will deter women from fighting rape cases as it puts the survivor, and not the accused, in the dock, say over 300 women's groups, activists and academicians in a joint statement. Last month, of all charges in a 2013 rape case involving a junior colleague. The judgement has been widely criticised for detailing the woman complainant’s WhatsApp chats, email messages and past relationships to discredit her as an unreliable witness. The Goa government has appealed against the judgement. "The judgment showcases the kind of gruelling trial that a survivor of sexual assault has to face in an insensitive court atmosphere and the relentless, cruel and often scandalous, illegal and irrelevant cross examination that a prosecutrix also faces," according to the joint statement.More Related News