An Indian court has decided to release a man accused of trying to rape in exchange for ironing and washing the clothes of about 2,000 women in his village for six months.
The Indian judiciary imposed a penalty on the 20-year-old Lalan Kumar, which requires the purchase of all supplies and cleaning materials for washing and ironing clothes for a period of 6 months for about 2,000 women in the village of Majhor in Bihar state, according to a ruling issued on Wednesday.
According to “AFP”, which reported the details of the ruling, the police officer in Madhubani district, Bihar state, Santosh Kumar Singh, said that the young man, who works in the field of washing and ironing clothes, was arrested last April, on charges of attempted rape, and it has not yet been determined. His trial date.
In turn, Nassima Khatun, head of the village council, indicated that “all the women of the village are happy with the court’s decision,” noting that she will monitor the young man and that the ruling “is a historic matter and this will enhance respect for women and help preserve their dignity,” according to the “dailypakistan” website.
The women of the village expressed their happiness with the court’s decision, as it opened a wide discussion about crimes of violence against women. Citizen Anjum Berwin said, “This is a wonderful step and a different kind of punishment that sends a message to the community.”
It is worth noting that India amended the laws on rape, after a gang rape incident in 2012 in New Delhi, but despite the new laws, the crime rate is still high, as more than 28 thousand cases of rape were reported in 2020 only, in conjunction with accusations being filed. The police failed to make sufficient efforts and put in place adequate procedures to prevent violent crimes and failed to refer sexual assault cases to court, sources indicate.