Guilty Until Proven Respectable

In India, when a crime is committed against a woman, the first question asked is not about her well-being but about her character. It’s not just the society but also the courts and lawmakers who demand proof of respectability from female victims. This piece revolves around how women are often held accountable for the crimes committed against them, while briefing the meaning of the word “respectability”, it addresses some of the most inhuman statements passed by people in authority, and analyses the laws and rules that have been brought about to change the present victim-blaming systems.