Women being subjected to physical and sexual violence is, unfortunately, not something we are unfamiliar with. Spine-chilling cases of rape and sexual assaults often make headlines and spark outrage in the society. Recently, one such incident once again brought the spotlight on the issue of women safety. A 15-year-old girl was raped in Madhya Pradesh’s holy town of Ujjain last week. She was seen walking on the streets, bleeding, going door-to-door to seek help after being left half-naked. Besides the horrific crime, what comes as more shocking is that no one in the area bothered to help the victim despite her condition.

Now the question arises that is the accused the only criminal here? Or those who turned a blind eye to the girl’s plight should also be charged? To eradicate crime against women, it is not only the law enforcement that must be held accountable but the mute spectators should also be asked for an explanation.


In the Ujjain case, media reports said that people shooed away the poor girl while some gave her money and clothes to “help”. However, a priest then stepped in and gave the girl shelter before reporting the matter to the authorities. Later, two policemen too donated blood to her and another offered to sponsor her education.

The police scanned hundreds of CCTV footage and sought hints from public before nabbing the prime accused, an auto-rickshaw driver named Bharat Soni. He was sent to a seven-day judicial remand and presented before a Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) court in Ujjain. But with the case raising eyebrows, arresting the accused wasn’t the only action that would have helped pacify the public. Hence, the authorities resorted to demolishing his house as it was built “illegally” on “government land”. So, does this appear as an effective solution to the rampant problem of women exploitation? Should we be satisfied by this action or call for measures that can help sensitize the society and bring a change?

After the callousness of those who refused to help the Ujjain rape victim triggered debates, senior Madhya Pradesh Police officer told NDTV that those people may face charges under child sex abuse laws. Now some may not approve of it but can’t this be a step towards awakening people who are getting used to neglecting crime against women?

The media also plays a role here as it can host discussions emphasizing the need to report crime to the police and help the victim at the earliest without fearing any consequences. Many cases fail to come to light and get buried under piles of files while the victim awaits justice. 

The Ujjain case, though horrifying, is not the first and sadly wouldn’t be the last one either unless we all vow to step in and bring a change to put a full stop to women exploitation.