With the video of a 16-year-old girl being raped by about 30-33 men shared on twitter, a wave of rage has erupted all across the world.
The video that showed the teen lying down in an unconscious state with four men boasting of the ordeal and also taking selfies with the bare girl has been condemned worldwide. The girl had reportedly gone to her boyfriend's place in the Sao Joao shantytown on the west side of Rio de Janeiro, but woke up in other house on Sunday, surrounded by 30 men or more. The incident that occurred in a Rio de Janeiro slum, during the weekend, has received a worldwide backlash. This incident thus, has brought to the fore the violence and sexual assaults that occur in one of the biggest South American countries.
But, besides the ordeal, the criticism the girl received from some who not only liked the video and pictures but also posted smileys. Some also went over the board and criticized the character of the girl. This again brings forth the old saying that the girl was wearing short clothes and was raped because she was drunk and available. The girl, who is shattered by the incident, also told of how she was blamed for everything that had happened. But, one question that pops into my head is that if she was not drunk and was wearing decent clothes, then would they leave her and not rape? Can anyone take guarantee of this? No, right, then how can she be blamed for her painful ordeal, when she didn’t even know what her boyfriend had planned for her. Why then such a misogyny? “I want people to know that it is not the woman’s fault. You can’t blame a robbery victim, for being robbed. I want them to await the justice of God. I feel like trash,” said the girl to a leading portal, while gathering some courage. Yes, they will get their share and we all are with you.
If glimpsed through the stats of rape and sexual assaults in Brazil, one could be shocked by the alarming rate at which women there are subjected to violence and assault. With about 6,029 rapes committed in Brazil in 2012, 4,993 were with women only. Added fuel to the fire is that not all assault cases are reported and many women fear coming out in open about the issue. Drugs and guns are famous in Brazil and are responsible for most of the sexual assaults in the 27 state country having a population of 200 million. But, the revamping of law has encouraged women to come ahead and bring to light these issues. However, this doesn’t assure the guilty will be punished. Hence, it’s high time to talk about these issues and being open about the rape culture will only help us to fight it back.
The rape has rocked Brazil, especially Rio, which is the current venue for Summer Olympics slated to occur in August this year. This can be a reason for the initial neglect of the government and police, of the brutal rape. The government was actually trying to hide the negative impact this incident would have on the athletes and tourists who will grace the event. The reports also suggest that about 20% of the budget reserved for the security and police by Brazil, has been utilized on the development and maintenance of Olympic venues, thus compromising both the development of the nation as well as the safety of women. But, thanks to the cry of the commoners, there is a worldwide support and the matter has been taken into account at the fast track rate.
Thus, we hope the protests turns out to be a revolution to aid the unsafe life of women in Brazil leading to an awakening that may change the face of Brazil in the near future. Yes, it is not 30 against one, but 30 against us.
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