Posted on January 3, 2008 in Women Issues
Raping a pregnant woman is repugnant and is a reflection of the societal increase in crime against women. Rape per se or that of a pregnant woman is a traumatic experience for a woman and indicates man’s inability to appreciate that a woman deserves respect and social recognition for being his equal in society. World-over, much concern is expressed over this growing phenomenon, and these heinous crimes take place, irrespective of caste, creed or country. Be it the U.S. or U.K. or India, the problem is a harsh reality, which needs to be tackled at grass-root levels.
Lust prevails in all cases. A woman is a mere sex object, to be enjoyed and then discarded. A man forces sex upon her to prove his manhood and so called superiority, and the very fact that he fails to recognize that she is a would- be-mother, indicates how low he can stoop. Raping a pregnant woman cannot be justified on any ground. One can accuse the accused to be out of his mind and not in his normal senses or rather a man with a “sick” mind to commit such a crime. Let us observe some cases to understand the seriousness of this problem and how it is afflicting the society in general.
Rape of a Pregnant Woman: a World – Wide Phenomenon
- In Kimberley, North Cape, South Africa (April, 2007) two men and a 16-year-old boy were accused of raping an 18-year-old pregnant woman. They held captive the woman’s partner and took turns to rape her. They did not hesitate in carrying out the crime on the ground that she was pregnant. Three against one. One of the accused was a minor and at such a tender age he was committing the sordid act. (source)
- In Hamilton, Ohio, a nine- months pregnant woman was assaulted around 3 a.m. (Nov, 2007) in College Hill. Definitely, an incident that chills you as the woman was at the delivery stage. (source)
- Home intruders rape a nine- months pregnant woman in Nashville, Tennessee, quite similar to the earlier mentioned incident that occurred in Hamilton Ohio. (source)
- In South Africa, a pregnant woman was raped in front of her family during a burglary on a farm near Harrismith. Her children and husband were present and she was six months pregnant. The robbers treated her as another object to be robbed. Just indication that raping a pregnant woman appears to be a very acceptable crime by the accused. They feel no remorse about performing the act
- A man posing as a doctor raped a pregnant woman in East London, U.K. (Jan, 2004) The accused can belong to any profession or any background. He only needs to come across a woman to carry out his crime (source)
- In Ramayampet, Medak district, India, a 7- months pregnant woman was gang-raped by drunken men, despite her husband being with her. Incidentally, she is a villager. This indicates how susceptible a woman is to this crime. Despite her husband or family being there, she still is a victim to the crime (Jan, 2008 ( source : Times of India, Hyderabad edition, Jan 2, 2008)
- Melbourne, Australia was also a witness to similar crime. A man raped a pregnant woman in front of her kids. It was alleged that he performed oral sex with some of his victims before assaulting them. September, 2007 – (source)
- In Delhi, India, the accused were directed by the court to marry the victims, as the latter wanted to do so. Since the victims were pregnant, the accused were also made responsible to take care of their children’s education once they attained 18 years of age. Jan , 2008 – (source)
It is quite evident that rape against women and that too of a pregnant woman was an act taken for granted. Whether a woman was single, or married, or pregnant, it did not matter. What mattered was that she was a woman meant to satisfy the animal instincts of a man, be it willingly or forced.
One observes that pregnant women were raped world- wide, and victims were not just city dwellers, but also even villagers. It is not only a social problem, but there are underlying psychological problems, which force a person to commit the crime. Much crime is displayed in movies and on television, which has a negative influence on those who watch them. Many carry out these crimes after watching them. Women are portrayed as being vulnerable in such situations.
Efforts should be made to educate society about the issues involved in such women related crimes and make the citizens more responsible to avoid such untoward incidents.
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