Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
13h ago

After Durgapur Rape Arrests, Mamata Banerjee’s Remark Draws Focus to Victim-Blaming Culture

Critics say such rhetoric reinforces bias that blames survivors instead of offenders.

Image
This is not the first time Banerjee has jumped in with her own theories about individual rape cases. In 2012, “fabricated” was the word she used to describe the rape of the “Park Street victim”, as media called her. (ANI)
Letters to the EDITOR

Overview

  • Police in Durgapur arrested six men, including the student’s male batchmate, after a medical student reported being raped outside her campus.
  • Mamata Banerjee said, “We are not defending anyone but girls should not leave campus at night,” a comment widely criticized as placing onus on the victim.
  • The incident has been linked to a broader pattern of leaders advising women’s behavior rather than addressing perpetrators, with past remarks by Sheila Dikshit, Pramod Sawant, Mohan Bhagwat, Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar cited.
  • The opinion piece notes that court outcomes in sexual-violence cases are often influenced by preconceived ideas about how a victim should behave.
  • Cited data from the National Family Health Survey shows about one in three women faces violence from a family member, and commentators urge consent education, stronger support systems and swifter trials.