Gang rape victim poisons herself in court
Staff writers January 24, 20138:30AM
- Woman poisons herself after rape trial delayed
- Shouts in court: "Justice was being delayed"
- Comes after last month's gang rape death
Indians mourned the death of a gang rape victim in December. Source: AP
AN INDIAN woman allegedly raped by her boss and three others in 2007 reportedly tried to take her own life, as the trial was again delayed this week.
The unidentified woman from the Indian state of Gujarat is reported to have consumed poison in the courtroom as she heard the case that had dragged on for years was yet again being set aside.
She's reported to have said "justice was being delayed" as she "consumed a poisonous substance", according to Bharat Shah, the woman's lawayer.
The Press Trust of India reports the woman only had her case heard after requesting the court step in when, in 2007, prosecutors "refused" to get involved.
The woman is now in hospital but is not in a critical condition.
According to the New York Times, only one in six rape cases was resolved in the year 2011, and only one in four trials produced a guilty verdict for the accused.
It comes after an Indian woman died in December when she was gang raped on a bus.
The 23-year-old's story - she died in a Singapore hospital - provoked an uprising in her country and shocked the world.
Delhi High Court lawyer Vrinda Grover said of India's system for dealing with rape cases: "What we need is that in all courts, these cases have to be taken seriously, and need to be addressed without granting unnecessary adjournments.
"And we need all judges and prosecutors to be oriented in this manner."
