Panchayats in several regions of India are notorious for bizarre diktats and, in rape cases, many are known to punish the survivor for a crime which was perpetrated against her.
Like this shocking incident from Gopal village in Satara, Maharashtra.
The village panchayat announced its decision in a case where a father had been raping his 14-year-old daughter until the girl’s ordeal came to light when she became pregnant.
The panchayat ordered ten lashes to the father – yeah that’s it – but more shockingly, it gave the same punishment to the pregnant minor survivor.
Shocking news: Panchayat thrashes rapist father, pregnant minor in Maharashtra #ITVideohttps://t.co/826WjR9A7s
— India Today (@IndiaToday) March 4, 2016
The police have intervened and raided the village, but no arrests have been made.