Striking case of gang-rape by police

We are outraged at the alleged gang-rape of a woman by an OC and other policemen at the Khulna Railway Station on August 2. From what we learned from reports that have emerged since, the accused allegedly have committed the crime in a very organised manner: detaining the woman inside a train, forcing her to disembark from there and taking her to the police station only to rape her. What is more, the alleged rapists even filed a case against the victim for possessing five bottles of Phensedyl reportedly to cover up their crime.   

Now, while the victim is languishing in jail, her family members are feeling insecure as some plainclothesmen are constantly keeping them under watch. According to the victim's mother, unknown callers warned them several times of dire consequences if they did not settle the matter through negotiations outside court. Some even came to their home and threatened them.

The incident is reminiscent of the shocking rape and murder of Yasmin by three policemen more than two decades ago. Although we do not often come across such horrific news where law enforcers are involved in such crimes, what we often see is law enforcers taking the side of the rapists and deterring the victims from filing cases. We saw this in the case of Nusrat, a madrasa student who was sexually harassed by her principal and later burned to death allegedly at his order. We also regularly see the nonchalant attitude of the law enforcers towards the victims of rape and sexual harassment when they seek help.

In the latest case, with some members of the police themselves accused of raping, we wonder where the victim's family would go to seek justice and how safe they would be should they continue to pursue justice. The way they are allegedly being threatened and intimidated only goes to show how vulnerable they are against such powerful perpetrators.

We hope necessary steps would be taken to ensure the safety of the rape victim and her family. At the same time, we demand a fair investigation into the incident and punishment of the perpetrators, if found guilty. The delay in preparing the medical report and completing the investigation will only mean that our law enforcers are above the law.