Social media was abuzz with reactions and everyone had an opinion. 

News portal The Quint too put up an article which goes with the headline, Bengaluru Shame: You Can Choose to Be Safe, So Don’t Blame the Mob. However, its contents have left everyone shocked with its skewed reasoning.

The author clearly states that the Bengaluru mass molestations shouldn’t be confused with the issue of gender equality. Taking victim-blaming to another level, she says that being safe is an option and instead of blaming molesters, she justifies these random excuses to blame the victims.

Sample this (screenshot of a part of the article from Quint’s website)

Apart from being clumsily written, the arguments put out in the article are absurd. Like, Why Were They Out On the Streets?

Does it ever occur to the author that those women were not actually ‘celebrating’ on the streets but were in the pubs and hotels and were molested while going back to their homes? How much more secure should a woman have felt before stepping out?To blame women and justify it as “mob gone berserk” and not a gender issue is seriously ignorant. The molesters were MEN molesting women, so how come it’s not a gender issue?

Another weird logic

Last I checked, pepper spray is an easily available commodity. More so, if the chemist near your house doesn’t stock it, buy it online.

And this illogical punch will totally knock you out. Caution is crucial for personal safety, but surely doesn’t apply here.

After this article was published, people on social media were visibly disgusted with the insensitive logic put out in the article.

Many on social media called the website for its irresponsible publishing, pointing out that there is no disclaimer whatsoever. After earning brickbats over the same, it later put out a clarification that it doesn’t endorse the views of the author. 

But seems the damage has been done and nothing can absolve Quint and the author of allowing victim-blaming trash like this.