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Photojournalist Gang Raped in Mumbai, India

Helene Imperiale |
August 23, 2013 | 11:21 a.m. PDT

Executive Producer

While on assignment in Mumbai, India a 22-year-old photojournalist was gang raped, local police say. The victim of the attack was an intern at a Mumbai-based English Magazine. She was in the Lower Parel district of Mumbai shooting the Shakti Mills at around 6pm on Thursday. 

The woman is still in the Jaslok hospital recovering from her injuries. The hospital reported that she was stable and able to speak.  The statement released from the hospital stated, "She went through a minor investigation procedure today [Friday] morning. She had both internal and external injuries."

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets and staged a silent protest in the city of Mumbai. 

According to Mumbai Police Commissioner, Satyapal Singh “nearly 20 teams had been formed to investigate the case and that all the accused had been identified.”

A similar case took place last December when a 23-year-old student was gang raped in the Indian capital of Delhi. She later died from her injuries. 

In July 2012, India was voted the worst country for women by Thomson Reuters. This is despite a ground breaking progressive Domestic Violence Act enacted in 2005 “outlawing all forms of violence against women and girls."  After the Domestic Violence Act was passed, crimes against women in India were expected to decrease. However, since 2005 a study from Swayam, a Kolkata based NGO stated that the rate of crimes against women has risen 31% since 2005.

Although police are investigating all of these cases, these incidents lead to bigger questions about the safety of women in India.

 

Reach Executive Producer Helene Imperiale here. Follow her here.



 

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