Card. Gracias: Rape of Orissa nun, act of terrorism against humanity
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "I condemn this gang rape of this young nun in the strongest possible terms. This is gang rape is physical and emotional terrorism against our woman" Card. Oswald Gracias, president of the Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) tells AsiaNews reacting to the attack on a nun in Orissa. The religious of the Franciscan Missionaries of St. Joseph, lived in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) to continue her studies.
"This violation of our young woman religious - said the cardinal - is evil act inflicted on this woman
religious who has consecrated her
life to God Rape is an abhorrent crime and an abominable transgression against
the honour of women and reflects abysmal state of women in our society, community and
nation".
Considering
the dynamics of the attack, the cardinal stressed that "this wasn't a random act of barbarism, it
was meticulously planned allegedly as an act of retaliation and this
heightens the gravity of the deplorable and utterly reprehensible crime."
"The
apathy of government agencies - he added - is appalling, there is a serious break
down of law and order situation in Kandhamal, this was not an isolated
violation, last October, two thirteen year old Christian girls were gang
raped in Kandhamal. Undeniably, increasing number of rape cases has become a serious
social problem. Atrocities against women , unsafe environment, eroding the rule
of law are a shameful blot on our nation".
The slowness
of the machinery of justice, noted Card. Gracias,
"is perceived at times as devaluating the victims and increases their
trauma by marginalizing the victims. Justice continues to evade Sr Meena Barwa." Sister
Barwa, the Servite religious, 30, was
raped and humiliated by Hindu extremists during the pogroms in Orissa in
August 2008. The police
arrested 22 people. Of these, 17 were able
to get out on bail.
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