Hurdles on survivor's path as monstrous as crime: WCC

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) on Saturday denounced the move by the High Court granting anticipatory bail to Vijay Babu in the actress sexual assault case. 

The WCC, in its statement, maintained that the hurdles that stand in the way of a survivor proving her truth are just as monstrous as the crime itself. They said they would continue supporting the survivor and ensure they 'see her, believe her and stand by her'.

According to WCC, there is an aggressive pattern used by perpetrators to silence the voices of survivors, which needs to be recognised here.

On June 22, the Kerala High Court had granted anticipatory bail to Vijay Babu, precisely two months after the complainant lodged a police complaint against him. Babu, who had left the country a few days as soon as the case was filed by the actress, returned to India only after 39 days.

The WCC said there had been several police cases filed against the accused by women closely associated with him.

"The aggressive pattern used by perpetrators to silence the voices of survivors needs to be recognised here. The national crime records bureau reports that less than 28% of rape cases under Sect 376 of IPC lead to a conviction. This pattern is the reason- the hurdles that stand in the way of a survivor proving her truth are just as monstrous as the crime itself.

It added that the legal framework of our country provides every citizen with the right to complain to the police when a crime is committed against them. In the case of sexual assault, it also gives the complainant the right to privacy under Sec 228A.

However, WCC reminded that Vijay Babu had publicly announced the complainant's name on social media, shaming and intimidating her. He then later deleted the video and allegedly tried to influence the complainant to withdraw the complaint, it also alleged.