After the horrifying attack and death of the #Unnao rape victim, today, another rape victim was attacked with acid allegedly for not withdrawing her complaint in #Muzaffarnagar. (1/6)
These are not isolated attacks. They highlight the pathetic state of victim-protection in India, underlining the repeated failures of the Government to provide protection to rape victims and their families. (2/6)
Lack of witness protection has a deterring effect on women's access to justice. The intimidation affects their willingness to report a crime, participate in the investigation and testify in the court. (3/6)
All this, in turn, impacts the fair disposal of a case. According to the National Crime Record Bureau, in 2017, of the 32,559 cases of rape reported in the country, the perpetrators could be convicted only in 1,010 cases. (4/6)
Even though in 2018, the Supreme Court of India called for a country-wide Witness Protection Scheme to facilitate a victim's ability to 'testify in courts without fear or pressure', its implementation outside the courts remains to be seen. (5/6)
In light of this, Amnesty India strongly urges the Uttar Pradesh Government to enforce the Witness Protection Scheme in letter and spirit with adequate budget allocation and comprehensive training of police officers to ensure women can report without the fear of harm. (6/6)
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