Gangrape survivor denied admission by schools in Meghalaya

Meghalaya, 26 March 2013 [CNN-IBN] --- Even after the arrest of 16 accused - minors and adults - in a gangrape case in Meghalaya, the survivor is still being victimised. The 18-year-old was forced to shift towns to escape harassment and is now being denied admission by new schools. Two schools in Tura town in Meghalaya have refused admission to the 18-year-old gangrape survivor. The teenager was gangraped in a lane at Williamnagar in Garo Hills on the night of December 13, 2012. When CNN-IBN met her earlier, she had only one request. She wanted to change her school. Bleeding and semi-conscious, on that December night she was dropped off to her home by two boys. "I was coming back from the winter festival with two other friends. A group of boys chased us. I ran and fell down. They hit me with a stone. I fell down and then they tore my clothes and raped me. I recognized two boys," she said. Her parents were in shock when CNN-IBN met them in January. "It is a shame that boys from our community did this. My daughter should get justice," said the survivor's mother. Nothing has changed or moved. Things have only got worse for the family. The girl has been photographed by the family members of the alleged rapists and threatened to withdraw the case in a manner activists had been threatened before. With the help of student organisations she moved to Tura for a new start and a new school. But schools don't want to give admission to a gangrape victim. All the 16 boys have been arrested. Eight of them are in juvenile custody and eight in jail. The trial has begun, but Williamnagar does not have a fast-track court. "People are less bothered. They don't feel angry it seems. We came for a public protest. But nobody came out. We even called them with a microphone. Nobody came out," PMDR member Jaynie Ninring said. The case was overshadowed by the Meghalaya elections and now with this rejection, it is one more day in the long wait for justice.

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