BENGALURU: The gruesome kidnap, rape and murder of Dr. P Priyanka Reddy in Hyderabad should be seen in the larger context of a malady that is ailing our society. The people should be alert and see the signals of such criminal gangs to prevent heinous crimes, said senior psychologist Dr. A. Sridhara.
There is a pattern among criminals who unleash such barbarity against young women. They come in groups and target young, educated and professional women. If the criminals are not scared of spending time in jail and laws don’t act as a deterrent, then it is a disturbing trend, he said.
“The message is loud and clear, and the whole society should know this... There are absolutely no human values present in society today,” he said.
“If you see the chain of incidents of crimes against women, the victims are medical students, graduates, researchers, IT professionals, etc. Recently, it happened in Chennai too,” he said.
The Hyderabad incident has shaken young women and their parents. After the Nirbhaya incident, governments took steps to check crimes against women. But the attacks have continued and young woman professionals don’t feel safe at all, he said.
“It is mindless cruelty at display. Our political representatives too are not sensitive enough to deal with such situations. In the London Bridge incident, where a terrorist knifed two to death, the first statement came from the Prime Minister condemning the incident,” he said.
Criminals with such twisted minds keep sending signals about their cruel intentions. The police and society should be able to pick these signals and call out the criminals before a disaster strikes, he said. “There is a reaction to every incident from the system. There are notifications and directions from the government. But such notifications can’t change attitudes. We have to question as to why after Nirbhaya such incidents have not reduced. Families and governments should take more stringent action to check crimes against women. It’s not possible only with the police and the judiciary,” he said.
“Such issues should be dealt with from the childhood, and children should be taught how to respect women,” he said.
