AIDWA strongly condemns the manner in which in some recent cases of rape and murder or attempted murders action or inaction of police and administration has demonstrated total failure of the justice system in such cases. Rape survivors in Unnao, UP, who showed the courage to lodge cases were subjected to murderous attacks (the second one set on fire by accused freed on bail) in which police were unable to protect witnesses. Most recently, all 4 accused in the Telangana case of most heinous rape and murder of Dr Priyanka Reddy have been killed in 'police encounter' even before investigation and judicial process could start. We have found that the police did not even cooperate with the family when they reported her as missing. On one hand demands for culprits to be lynched raised from influential quarters, on the other killing of accused in encounters before judicial process has started, we feel, can only serve to insidiously divert public anger from the criminal neglect of police and administration to perform its proper responsibility. So long as this continues, the present trend of rising atrocities against women and low rates of conviction will also continue. Therefore we demand that all measures are put in place to strengthen our justice delivery system and survivors of rape get proper protection and care. We also demand that the police in all such cases be made accountable and a thorough investigation be instituted into the incident of encounter by an independent agency.
