Daily Times

A case filed by a mainstream actress against a man who (clearly not satisfied with catcalling her in a public space, went on to) attempt a forced entry inside her residence has pulled the drapes from how low our chauvinistic society has plunged. As the hapless victim appeals to social media influencers to not milk her tragedy for ratings, one cannot help but think about the horrific onslaught endured by a promising actress of the yesteryears, Shabnam. She kept knocking on the judicial doorstep for her due share of justice and eventually had to leave her homeland for good. That timely action by family members and the ruckus spared the poor girl of this unimaginable trauma is no occasion to celebrate. Things should never have come to a point where a female feared for her safety and her security. According to details in the official complaint, her clothes were torn in the struggle between her, her husband and the transgressor. This alone is enough to steal many good nights’ sleep. For any survivor of gender-based violence, trauma comes in repeat doses. First, comes the actual gruesome crime and then, its aftershocks continue to scare the living daylights out of the abused. While heartfelt messages seem to have flown from all directions, simply expressing sympathy is not enough to change the actual situation. Fears of probable character assassination always lurk around the corner where society is more interested in finding fault with the victim instead of spelling out the crimes. In addition to treating the victims of assault with dignity, law enforcement authorities would have to step in to ensure women have access to justice and closure. Stringent implementation of the Penal Code, unbiased prosecution and improved conviction rate are all needed to send the message across: No one is above the law and every single citizen enjoys the right to safety, as enshrined in the constitution. *