What Do We Do About UP’s Epidemic of Rape? 4 Minors Sexually Assaulted & Murdered in 3 Weeks

A few days ago, a young girl went out to tend to her buffaloes in a village in Uttar Pradesh and didn’t return home. Two days later, on Wednesday, the police said they had found her body. In what would become the fourth horrific crime against minor girls in just three weeks in UP, the police said that she had been raped and murdered.

The 16-year-old’s body was recovered from the Varuna river in Jaunpur district, and bore numerous injury marks, reports said. Locals also alleged that acid had been poured on the upper half of her body, but the police have said they will wait for a post-mortem report before confirming what exactly had transpired.

“Prima facie it appears that the girl has been murdered. It appears that she was burnt with some substance, but its nature will be clear after a postmortem,” a senior police officer told NDTV.

17 year-old girl, who had gone missing 2 days ago in UP’s Bhadohi, found dead with her face and upper portion of body burnt with acid to hide her identity, say police, suspecting she was raped and murdered

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 19, 2020

To make matters worse, this incident follows a spate of barbaric crimes, specifically targeting minor girls, that have been making stomachs churn all through the last month.

A woman was raped in Bhadoi in Uttar Pradesh. Then she was murdered. Then her body was bathed in acid to obliterate her identity. Raped. Murdered. Erased. Does Lord Ram still want to return to Ayodhaya?

— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 19, 2020

This is the third rape and death in UP I have read about in a week. But the UP Police finds it more important to travel to another state and arrest a journalist for a tweet.

My state is messed up beyond repair. There is no fixing this. https://t.co/39ok4DDhxX

— Sania Ahmad (@SaniaAhmad1111) August 19, 2020

News broke just two weeks ago that a man had kidnapped, raped, and tortured a six-year-old girl in Hapur district, barely 100 kilometers from the national capital Delhi. Two men were arrested the following week for assaulting and strangling a 13-year-old girl to death in Lakhimpur Kheri district.

The Uttar Pradesh police arrested Dalpat Singh, who allegedly raped a six-year-old minor in the Garh area of Hapur on August 6, officials said.https://t.co/EnM7DIJeOg

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) August 14, 2020

Horrific news from UP again . The @kheripolice have confirmed that a 13 year old girl found murdered in a cane field on friday was also raped . Father of girl has told media her eyes were gouged out , tongue was cut and she was strangled . 2 accused arrested , sent to jail …. pic.twitter.com/erRcfuNk2D

— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) August 15, 2020

Then again last Friday, another barbaric assault case was reported in Chief Minister Adityanath’s home constituency, Gorakhpur. Two men had raped a teenage girl before apparently singing her with cigarette butts, and leaving her in an unconscious state.

Two men have been arrested in the case of the alleged rape of a minor teenage girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district.https://t.co/uj9KqIZwkT

— The Quint (@TheQuint) August 17, 2020

This series of shocking crimes has drawn condemnation online, from human rights groups to journalists to opposition leaders.

NHRC issues notice to UP government and state police chief over alleged gang-rape and murder of minor girl in Lakhimpur Kheri, reports PTI. #NHRC #UttarPradesh

— TOI Lucknow News (@TOILucknow) August 17, 2020

A woman was raped in Bhadoi in Uttar Pradesh. Then she was murdered. Then her body was bathed in acid to obliterate her identity. Raped. Murdered. Erased. Does Lord Ram still want to return to Ayodhaya?

— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 19, 2020

आजमगढ़ के बांसगाँव में दलित प्रधान सत्यमेव जयते पप्पू की स्वतंत्रता दिवस की पूर्वसंध्या में नृशंस हत्या व 1अन्य की कुचलकर मौत की खबर अति-दुःखद। यूपी में दलितों पर इस प्रकार की हो रही जुल्म-ज्यादती व हत्या आदि से पूर्व की सपा व बीजेपी की वर्तमान सरकार में फिर क्या अन्तर रह गया है?

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 15, 2020

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said the Uttar Pradesh government had completely failed to protect people.

“There is no fear of law in the minds of criminals. As a result of this, gruesome incidents of crime against women are on the rise… The Government of Uttar Pradesh should review law and order and take every step related to the safety of women seriously,” Gandhi wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.

“The Uttar Pradesh government has completely failed to protect women. There is no fear of law in the minds of criminals,” said @priyankagandhi as multiple reports of gang rapes and murders of minors surfaced in the last few days.@qazifarazahmad reports.https://t.co/s2vlO5eh3t

— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) August 17, 2020

With the fourth horrific case reported in just three weeks, clearly patience is running thin. It’s about time that more people speak up against such gruesome crimes.