Rapists are emboldened due to low conviction rates in rape cases, delayed justice: speakers
Due to the abysmally low conviction rates in rape cases, an overwhelming majority of rapists in Bangladesh believe that they will get away after raping a girl or woman, said Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam this morning.
Delayed justice, lack of monitoring and accountability of service providers related to violence against women, and a tendency of blaming the victims only fuel "rape culture", she said in her speech as chief guest at a shadow parliamentary debate competition at FDC in the city.
Debate for Democracy organised the competition titled "UCB Public Parliament" with the subject "Parents are responsible for moral degradation of Dihan".
Mazid Jarina Foundation School and College of Shariatpur won the debate as the opposition party, defeating Cambrian School and College.
Condemning remarks of the mother of the lone accused Fardin Iftekhar Dihan -- in the recent O-level student rape and murder case, Shaheen Anam also expressed concerns over whether the victim's family will receive justice.
After the incident, Dihan's mother in an open letter said that she doesn't think her son took the girl to their home to rape and murder her. "Since they loved each other, Dihan may have called the girl to spend some private time and behaved immaturely," the letter said.
The programme was presided over by Debate for Democracy chairman Hassan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron and he said, juvenile delinquency is on the rise due to indifference and excessive affection of parents, lack of moral education, weak social bonds, easy availability of drugs, unsupervised use of information technology, lack of good governance etc.
He also urged the government to stop "gang culture" and control the misuse of social media by ensuring sports and recreational activities for them, including comprehensive sex education in the curriculum, and aware the parents to check whether they are being involved in drug use and illegal activities.
At the end of the competition, the president and chief guest distributed crest, trophy and certificate to the debaters.