Analysis of reporting of Gender-based violence case in Uttar Pradesh
“Fake” cops gang rape two sisters at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh.
Family, when went to Behjoi police station, were told no cops been send to their home
Key Highlights
- Two sisters were gang-raped by men dressed as cops in Behjoi, Uttar Pradesh
- Men barged into their house and blamed family to be involved in spurious liquor
- They asked sisters to accompany them to the police station
- But instead took them to an isolated place and raped them
The sisters returned and informed the family of their ordeal. This incident was brought to light when the family went to the Behjoi police station where they were told that no constables had been sent to their home.
While this is just the gist of the story, many newspapers covered the incident differently.
The Tribune and The New Indian Express wrote the story precisely without much details. They simply wrote that family was falsely blamed for dealing in spurious liquor but only the sisters were asked to accompany the police station who were instead taken to a deserted place and were gang-raped by men impersonated as cops.
But in The Times of India incident was in an elaborated manner that after father of those two girls denied smuggling in liquor, fake cops started misbehaving and thrashing him. Sisters were then taken on a gunpoint to an isolated location where they were raped in turns and were freed after two hours. TOI also wrote that the family was unable to reveal the identities of the persons accused of crime. The written complaint lodged by family also didn’t mention the gangrape but a medical examination has been initiated. TOI also gave the number of men, that they were four whereas the other two newspapers didn’t mention it.
Also where other two newspapers The Tribune and The New Indian Express confirmed that rape happened of the two sisters, The Times of India wrote “ Two sisters allege gangrape in UP’s Sambhal” as a headline. This gives the impression that the case can be fabricated. More neutral terms “reportedly” could have been used. TOI has also mentioned the duration of rape that is two hours, which shouldn’t be required.
Reporting of Gender-based violence still needs to develop a lot. Stance should be neutral. Certain words should be used only if needed and most of the time should be avoided like “alleged”. Reporting should be done in a manner that empowers the victims, not criminalize the victim in the eyes of society.
Urls of the report :