Image: INQUIRER.net stock photo
An Indian woman cut off her attacker’s penis when the man attempted to rape her in her own home, AFP reports.
The woman used a knife to defend herself from the man, Hari Swami, a self-proclaimed religious guru, who was at her family’s home Friday night, May 19.
Police reported that the 23-year-old law student claimed she had been assaulted for years by the 54-year-old whom her parents trusted. Her parents were unaware of the assaults.
“The woman told us that her parents blindly trusted this Swami, and he used to get frequent invites to perform special ceremonies and stay over at their house, where he assaulted her,” said district police chief G Sparjan Kumar.
After the incident, which saw him “in a serious state,” Swami was was rushed to the hospital, where he eventually stabilized.
The AFP report cites that the woman is under police protection and receiving trauma counseling.
Online reactions have been supportive of the woman’s brash act, with netizens claiming the need to take punishment into their own hands because of poor rape prosecution:
@STcom THIS IS NEW SELF MADE LAW…BECAUSE OUR ALL OLD LAWS FAILURE TO STOP CRIME..SO FAR..I THINK WOMAN DONE CORRECT TO GIVE MESSAGE TO RAPIST..
— patel motivetor (@motivetorSun) May 21, 2017
@STcom she deserves an award
— MOÍ🍋 (@KatorD) May 21, 2017
@STcom If we took rape more seriously maybe she wouldn’t have had too pic.twitter.com/m58OW36Tqf
— afrogyal (@queenafroNAM) May 21, 2017
@STcom if men dont learn not to rape, women should learn to castrate
— lauren’s tummy stan (@sexcbrittana) May 21, 2017
According to a 2014 report from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, one in three rape victims in India was a minor. Half of abusers were familiar to the child or was in a position of responsibility.
Last 2016, a Christian priest in India was sentenced to 40 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl. Niña V. Guno/JB/rga
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