Sunday, March 24, 2013

'If girls look sexy, boys will rape.' Is this what Indian men really believe?

Since a 23-year-old medical student was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi in December and later died in hospital from her injuries, the issue of rape has been hugely prominent in India. Last week headlines were dominated by the gang rape of a Swiss woman on a cycling holiday in Madhya Pradesh. In the same week a British woman leapt from her hotel window in the northern city of Agra at 4am to escape the unwanted attention of the hotel manager, who was trying to get into her room. According to government figures, a rape takes place in India every 21 minutes. The number of reported rapes rose by 9% in 2011 to 24,000. Yet conviction rates are falling, down to 26% in 2011. The recent cases have led to worldwide outrage, and demonstrations led by women have filled the streets of major cities. But what do India's young men think?
 The Observer gathered a group in the western region of Goa to hear their views.

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