“I was sexually assaulted by my best friend. Coming out and saying this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I mean, I’m a strong person who never ever thought this could happen to me. I could never be a victim. Right? Wrong.” reads the open letter by an anonymous student from Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad. When this letter was posted on the Nalsar Community, a popular page for its students on Facebook, the head of the university’s committee against sexual harassment sent out a notice to the students requesting the victim to file a complaint, but she refused to do so.
“The victim said that her main aim was to bring about a discussion on gender-sensitivity on campus and initiate conversations about consent,” explains a source. And with no complaint from the girl, the authorities’ hands are tied. While most colleges have a committee against sexual harassment, the problem is that most of them are dormant until an incident like this occurs. Tejaswini Madabhushi, member of Hyderabad for Feminism group says, “In the open letter, she mentions that the guy was someone who understood consent but still did this. This is why consent needs to be taken seriously and people taught about it. Whenever such incidents are reported, people victim-shamed the woman, and that is what is probably scaring this girl as well.”
Criminal lawyer, High court, P. Nageswara Rao believes that sensitising children at a young age could help. “Children as young as 13 years old should be taught about consent and issues such as gender sensitisation. Also, sexual harassment is a cognisable offense and if the victim has spoken about it and refuses to file a complaint, the police can intervene and interrogate her. After a crime such as this is committed it is the duty of the victim to report it or she could face arrest and prosecution for withholding information,” explains Rao.
