Gang Rape Research Articles

‘With you, sister @JenniHermoso’: Productive rage in the viralization of #SeAcabó

The hashtag #SeAcabó [It’s over], which was originally published on X by Spanish football player Alexia Putellas in support of her teammate Jenni Hermoso following a nonconsensual kiss by the then president of Spanish football, Luis Rubiales, managed to channel the transformative collective rage toward sexual violence in Spain. Following the World Cup final, while mainstream media, especially sports media, either ignored the act, gave Rubiales a voice, or even defended him, indignation at an act seen as sexual violence went viral on the networks. #SeAcabó spurred the expression of rage in a digital environment conditioned by the previous La Manada ( The Wolf Pack) gang rape case in 2016 that gave rise to the hashtag #YoSiTeCreo [I do believe you] in support of the accuser. While Rubiales has maintained that the kiss was consensual and has accused ‘false feminism’ of conspiring against him, Hermoso has become a legitimate spokesperson for those who fight against the affective injustice suffered by victims of sexual violence, who even go so far as to deny their condition, for fear of not being believed. In this short piece, we draw on Lorde and Cherry’s concept of productive rage to argue that Spanish feminism fostered, through the #SeAcabó movement, collective resistance to sexual violence, managing to put consent at the center of the debate in the public sphere. This piece is a part of a special themed issue on the Rubiales / Hermoso non-consensual kiss.

Analysing Femicide and Antinationalism in The Nirbhaya Case: A Feminist Revisionist Mythmaking Reading of Clea Chakraverty's La Voix de Sita

Violence against women often stems from gender inequality, societal structures such as patriarchy, impunity, and institutional violence. Despite the remarkable progress it has made in establishing the representation of women in all fields, India still finds itself an unsafe country for women, with multiple cases of femicide reported every year. The present paper proposes a close look at violence against women in India through a multidisciplinary reading of Clea Chakravarty’s novel La Voix de Sita [Sita’s Voice] which is a retelling of the 2012 Delhi gang rape. Commonly known as the Nirbhaya Case, it ushered a lot of debates around women’s modesty and morality, alongside controversial anti-feminist remarks by the dominant misinformed strata of society on women being responsible for crimes done against them and the branding of feminism as anti-national. By approaching the revisionist mythmaking of Indian epics in the novel through a feminist lens, the paper also traces the root cause of violence against women in India by analysing media reports, interviews, and anecdotes focused on the case.

Statistical Indicators of Sentencing for Rape Committed by a Group of Persons in Russian Legislation

The article analyzes the indicators of sentencing for rape committed by a group of persons in the Russian Federation from 2018 to 2022; the concepts of “rape” and “gang rape” are revealed, their features and differences are considered. The author, considering the materials of judicial statistics, comes to the conclusion that the imposition of punishment for rape committed by a group of persons tends to decrease and their place in the total number of criminal offenses is insignificant.

Gender-based violence in the context of armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia

BackgroundGender-based violence (GBV) particularly against women is unfortunately common during armed conflicts. No rigorous and comprehensive empirical work has documented the extent of GBV and its consequences that took place during the two years of devastating armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia. This study aims to assess GBV and its consequences in war-torn areas of northern Ethiopia.MethodsWe used a qualitative method augmented by quantitative method to enroll research participants. We conducted in-depth interviews to characterize the lived experiences of GBV survivors. All interviews were conducted confidentially. The data were collected to the point of data saturation. All interviews were transcribed verbatim into local language, translated into English, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. We also used reports from healthcare facilities and conducted a descriptive analysis of the demographic characteristics of study participants.ResultsOne thousand one hundred seventy-seven persons reported GBV to healthcare providers. The qualitative study identified several forms of violence (sexual, physical, and psychological). Gang rape against women including minors as young as 14 years old girls was reported. Additionally, the perpetrators sexually violated women who were pregnant, and elderly women as old as 65 years, who took refuge in religious institutions. The perpetrators committed direct assaults on the body with items (e.g., burning the body with cigarette fire) or weapons, holding women and girls as captives, and deprivation of sleep and food. GBV survivors reported stigma, prejudice, suicide attempts, nightmares, and hopelessness. GBV survivors dealt with the traumatic stress by outmigration (leaving their residences), seeking care at healthcare facilities, self-isolation, being silent, dropping out of school, and seeking counseling.ConclusionGBV survivors were subjected to multiple and compounding types of violence, with a wide range of adverse health consequences for survivors and their families. GBV survivors require multifaceted interventions including psychological, health, and economic support to rehabilitate them to lead a productive life.

The Morphosemantics of Complex Numbers

Gender-based violence, which includes domestic abuse, sexual assault, and femicide, persists as a pervasive issue in Nigeria. This study aims to investigate the transitivity system and the embedded ideology in news headlines reporting instances of gender-based violence in the country. Grounded in Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) Ideational Metafunction of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the research employs a content analysis method, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze data. A purposive selection of 20 news headlines from each of two prominent mainstream Nigerian media outlets, The Punch and Nigerian Tribune, published between May and August 2022, constitutes the dataset, totalling 40 news headlines. The analysis of the transitivity system in The Punch online news reveals the utilization of thirty (30) processes in the selected twenty (20) news headlines portraying crimes against women in Nigeria. Notably, twenty-nine (96.7%) of these processes are material, with the remaining one (3.3%) being behavioural. The prevalence of material processes is similarly reflected in the news headlines from the Nigerian Tribune, where twenty-five (25) processes are observed across the selected twenty (20) headlines. Here, material processes constitute twenty-four instances (96%), while verbal processes appear only once (4%). The consistent use of material processes allows both media houses – The Punch and Nigerian Tribune – to articulate various physical and violent actions perpetrated against Nigerian women, as well as actions taken by law enforcement agencies to seek justice for the victims. The analysis further uncovers a representation of gender roles and power dynamics, highlighting that all material processes related to violence, such as ‘rape’, ‘shot’, ‘abducts’, ‘kills’, and ‘punches’, are associated with males. Consequently, men are portrayed as the perpetrators of violent crimes, while women are depicted as the victims—vulnerable, subject to gang rape, rape, shooting, killing, and stabbing. Additionally, the study reveals that women, along with related entities, are frequently assigned the participant role of the goal in news headlines, implying an ideological representation that positions women as susceptible targets of violent crimes. In conclusion, this study asserts that Nigerian media outlets predominantly utilize material processes and assign goal participant roles within the transitivity system to present an amplified and sensational portrayal of various physical and aggressive actions inflicted upon women and young girls in Nigeria.

Investigating Unnatural Deaths Linked to Sexual Assault: A Forensic Analysis

Background: Exploration of fatalities associated with sexual activity, encompassing both natural and unnatural occurrences, delving into elements such as physical strain and peculiar circumstances. Terminology like "dying in the saddle" is utilized to describe incidents during sexual intercourse. Although human sexuality is generally regarded as positive, it can, in some cases, result in fatal incidents. Natural deaths, often impacting males, are correlated with pre-existing medical conditions, including fatal cardiovascular events triggered by sexual exertion. Sexual violence, spanning from harassment to coerced penetration, remains a pervasive global issue. In Bangladesh, there are notable instances of sexual intimate partner violence against women.
 Aim of the Study: The study aimed to represent the clinical characteristics and causes of unnatural death related to sexual assault.
 Methods: This retrospective study, conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh, analyzed 15 autopsies over two years, from July 2021 to June 2023, focusing on suicides by hanging and poisoning. The research adhered to legal and ethical guidelines, obtaining informed consent from legal guardians. Inclusion criteria covered all ages and genders, with unnatural deaths related to sexual activities. Exclusion criteria included natural deaths. Cases were identified through autopsy records, additional examinations, police files, court proceedings, and input from witnesses. A team of five experienced forensic pathologists ensured an unbiased evaluation. Results were organized into tables and graphs, with statistical analysis using SPSS.
 Results: This study analyzed 15 unnatural deaths, focusing on age distribution, gender, sexual assault patterns, locations, sexual activities, and causes of death. Victims aged 0-10 years constituted 46.67%, 11-20 years were 33.33%, and 21-30 years were 20.00%. Females comprised 93.33%. Sexual assaults occurred mainly by neighbors (40.00%), involved gang rape (20.00%), and stepfather rape (13.33%). Public places (33.33%) and other locations (40.00%) were common sites. The most prevalent type of injury was head trauma, accounting for 26.67%. Fatal injuries, burns, choking, and poisoning were equally significant, each contributing to 33.33% of cases. Falls from heights were identified as a major cause of death, comprising 20.00% of the reported incidents.
 Conclusion: This research delves into the intricate aspects surrounding non-natural deaths occurring in the context of sexual activities, with a specific emphasis on suicides related to hanging and poisoning. It underscores the imperative for a nuanced comprehension of these incidents, drawing attention to possible misclassifications and advocating for precise forensic evaluations. The findings underscore the necessity for increased awareness, education, and preventive measures to confront the social and cultural determinants that contribute to sexual violence.

Taboo and dynamic framing in the media coverage of gang rape: the Ayia Napa case

The study examines the media coverage of the case of suspected gang rape in Aiya Napa, Cyprus in the summer of 2019. The research question examined how the media covered this event while giving expression to various representations through dynamic framing. The study analyzed some 30 reports in the main news edition on two Israeli television channels using an original model developed for this study: The Dynamic Media Coverage Spectrum around the Moral Nucleus (M.S.M) presenting the movement of media coverage around the moral nucleus: the social taboo against gang rape. Reporting was found to move in three elliptical orbits around the taboo: first, who is to blame, second, the law against the norm, and third, dynamic movement around positioning semantics. The study reveals different narratives chosen to frame the event, using gender, status, identity, and ethnic affiliation of participants and the geopolitics of the case. The findings show, a critical public discourse must be developed regarding the messages the media communicate regarding sexual offenses and advantages through the MSM model analysis.

Sexualized Objects and the Embodiment of Caste Honour: Rape in Dalit Women-centric Movies

Several popular Hindi movies feature attempted rapes and gang rapes, reinforcing the rape culture, which must be problematized. The study analyses selected movies and demonstrates that the caste and gendered form of sexual violence carries multiple levels, the nature of gang rape, rape as erotic entertainment, and an embodiment of caste honour with rape as an element of revenge. These elements are unique to Indian movies as they incite caste honours, and normalize sexual assaults, supporting and glorifying Indian rape culture. The study illustrates the awareness of the culture of caste and gendered honour-based dominant caste ideologies in selected movies and demonstrates how these can legitimize and encourage rape. This could lead to a better-integrated understanding of this rural rape culture. The study argues that the Indian mainstream film industry has mainly portrayed Dalit women’s rape and suggests Savarna filmmakers’ obedience to such portrayals has consequently intensified the hype and reproduction of rape culture in Indian society. Significantly, the last decade has witnessed noticeable accumulations in sexual violence against the subaltern Dalit women aggregated.

“The Situation Will Most Likely Turn Ugly”: Corporate Counter-Insurgency and Sexual Violence at a Canadian-Owned Mine in Guatemala

This paper offers a window into the terrain of corporate influence over violence in the mining industry. The research draws on over 300 pages of internal communications and other corpo-rate documents, which were produced by Vancouver-based Skye Resources and released pub-licly as an affidavit in a civil court case in Ontario, Canada. The documents demonstrate the roles of mining company executives and their collaborators in coordinating events that led to the gang rape of eleven Maya Q’eqchi’ women in Guatemala during a 2007 land eviction. Ana-lyzing the documents through a framework of corporate counter-insurgency (co-COIN), the pa-per explores the importance of international consultants and local elite networks in co-COIN campaigns. The case study explored in this paper contributes to the theorization of public-pri-vate repressive forces within co-COIN. The research also offers a visual tool to map actors in other instances of mining violence, which is intended for use by both academic researchers and anti-mining social movements.

India's Daughter: It Is Time to Retire the Realist Rape Documentary

Abstract This essay links the historical figure of Phoolan Devi, infamously known as the “Bandit Queen,” a vigilante and the subject of several articles, news stories, books, and a biopic, with the more recent figure of Jyoti Singh Pandey, the victim of a brutal gang rape in 2012, who similarly became the subject of news stories, films, performances, and a TV series. It examines the BBC's commissioned documentary film India's Daughter (dir. Leslee Udwin, 2015) as an example of how the aesthetics of realism can sensationalize sexual assault, engender a spectatorial complicity, and, in this case, scaffold damaging cultural narratives.

Freedom smothered: Gang rape as patriarchal punishment of emancipated women in Yugoslav new film

This paper investigates how women, and their roles in changing Yugoslav society, were represented in Yugoslav New Film (1961-1972). Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia legalized gender equality in the wake of the Second World War, but the tentacles of patriarchy, which were difficult to eradicate, still lingered from pre-socialist times. In many movies there is a recurring pattern of sexual violence towards women. One possible interpretation of depicted sexual violation, for example gang rape in contemporary-themed Yugoslav New Films, is as a patriarchal punishment for emancipation of women in terms of education, work, or their sexuality. In order to examine this, the feature-length fictional films: Povratak/The Return (Živojin Pavlović, 1966) and Horoskop/Horoscope (Boro Drašković, 1969), in which the freedom of women’s emancipation was smothered by gang rape, are selected for the case study and analysed. The films are explored through the lens of feminist film theory, via close reading. Besides, the concept of the gaze is applied. Furthermore, I scrutinise whether these representations of rape and their aftermaths condone, or condemn brutality toward female characters, or have rather ambivalent stance toward it.

Land use and sexual harassment: A geospatial analysis based on the volunteer HarassMap‐Egypt

AbstractSexual harassment and gang rape in Egypt have garnered attention from both traditional and digital media. This study employed a volunteer HarassMap to analyse sexual harassment crimes (SHCs) across Egypt from a spatial perspective. The specific aims were to apply the Hierarchical Density‐Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) algorithm to locate clusters of reported SHCs, and to assess their spatial dependence on land use types. To accomplish this task, ring buffers of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 metres were established around each crime scene to determine which land use was mostly associated with the incidence of these SHCs. Local bivariate relationships were used to explore the associations between SHC and each land‐use category. Results from the HDBSCAN algorithm revealed four crime clusters within the study domain, mainly located in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Behaira. Notably, commercial establishments and transit stations showed a significantly positive correlation with SHC. The study shows how land uses shape SHC and showed that it is possible to identify environmental risk factors for harassment. These risk factors can help policymakers, urban planners, and community stakeholders prevent and reduce sexual harassment and gender inequality, and promote just and inclusive societies.

The Pattern of Alleged Rape Case in Dhaka City

Background: Rape is a common social problem having great implication on the Victim, family, Judiciary and state. However it is very difficult to prove the actual rape because it is difficult to establish whether it is a consented sex or actual rape. Objective: To assess the pattern of alleged rape case in Dhaka city. Method: 176 cases of alleged rape were studied during the period of 2019-2022 at the Tertiary hospital, Dhaka. Results: Of these, 130 cases had consented sexual intercourse. 46 victims were subjected to rape. Cases include different age groups, their occupations, living areas, time of arrival for medicolegal examination have been studied. Most of the cases were students. An alarming number of victims were subjected to gang rape. Examination and reporting of the cases with have been discussed. Conclusion: This study shows that only one fourth of the alleged rape victims are the real rape cases. The victims of other cases had consent to sexual intercourse. There were several victims below the age of consent who cannot give valid consent to sexual intercourse as per law.

Athanasius Pulled Apart: Heresiology and the (Dis)membered (Fe)male Body

AbstractIn this article, I engage Athanasius of Alexandria’s invocation of the infamous dismemberment of the unnamed woman found in Judg 19. By the fourth century, this story of gang rape—along with other preserved stories of sexual violence—found in Judges, were scattered throughout early Christian literature. Judges 19 holds a particularly troubling history in the late ancient context. The story of the rape and dismemberment of the unnamed woman in Judg 19 gave life to another story and typified a style of writing that I characterize in the article as a heresiology. The spectacle of Judges, along with other gruesome deaths of women, was one way in which heresiological discourse frames rhetorical arguments for writers like Athanasius of Alexandria. Here, I purposely draw our attention to how Athanasian orthodoxy became reliant on gender-based violence.

In between the lines of the narrative map: Phenomenological analysis of war rape victims in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.

Research conducted in the last four decades on rape and other forms of sexual violence shows that they are not only the result of transgression behaviors of some people but have been used as strategic, systemic, and calculated tools of war, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Examining the nature and effect of wartime rape and sexual violence based on their distinctive features, context, and historical background is essential for research and service providers. This paper explores the lived experiences of sexual violence and gang rape victims during the North Ethiopian war in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Data were collected from three girls and women survivors using a trauma and socio-culturally informed phenomenological approach. The finding shows that participants experienced a broad and complex range of psychological, physiological, emotional, and relational suffering after the rape. The result also shed light on some risk factors such as lack of awareness of the effect of traumatic events, stigma related to rape, and lacks victim protective legislation risk their journey to healing. The paper further discussed individual and community mental health responses for victims of war rape in culturally responsive and resource-poor settings.

Rape survivors’ experience in Tigray: a qualitative study

IntroductionAs consequences of war, women and girls are the most likely segment of society to be impacted by violence. War also affects the critical facilities and makes the situation worse as victims cannot get the vital basic services. According to media and unpublished reports, Tigrayan women have been victimized by gang rape and sexual violence. Furthermore, there is substantive evidence of intentional destruction and vandalization of health facilities due to the one-year-old-armed conflict. This study aimed to explore experiences of rape survivors in areas hit by armed conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.MethodsIn this qualitative study, a phenomenological study design was employed among Tigrayan sexual assault survivors in a war-ravaged of Tigray. Survivors were selected purposively and included in the study for an in-depth interview. An interview guide was used to collect the data. Audio records from the in-depth interviews in Tigrigna were transcribed verbatim and then translated into English for analysis. Atlas-ti 7 software was used to code the interview transcripts of the qualitative data, and categorizations and thematizing of the codes were done. Direct quotes were used to describe categories or themes.ResultsTen women who were survivors of sexual violence and rape related to the war in Tigray participated in the interview. The age of the women ranged between 16 and 30 years with a mean age of 21.7. Among the participants, five were teenagers, six were single and/or economically dependent on their family or husband, and two did not attend any school and were not able to read and write. This study has generated five major thematic areas: (1) infliction of long-lasting trauma on children (2) effects of the rape (3) means of escaping from rape and killings (4) home remedies as means of life saving in war affected areas, and (5) beyond rape.ConclusionsRape in war-stricken Tigray has been widespread which includes teenagers and it caused immense psychological and physical damage to the survivors and their families. Damage of critical facilities such as the absence of safe houses for survivors and health services was an added complexity to the victims of rape. Hence, a coordinated effort by the government of Tigray and international partners is required to heal, support and rehabilitate the victims and rebuild the damaged health institutions and reequip the health facilities.

Juvenile Justice System in India: An Overview

Juvenile justice is a legal framework that defines justice for juveniles. The problem of juvenile delinquency is not new. It happens in all societies simple as well as complex, that is wherever and whenever a relationship is affected between a group of individuals leading to maladjustments and conflict. The major debate and discussion surrounding the juvenile justice system began after the heinous incident of the Nirbhaya Gang Rape Case within which an accused was only six months faraway from reaching the age of 18, the age of becoming significant, and forcing the Indian legal system to convict him as a juvenile instead of a full-fledged offender.1 To solve the challenges of juvenile delinquency various declarations and conventions at the international level and laws were enacted by the respective governments at the national level. It is a serious worry for the country and answers for end the issue should be looked for all around prudently. Indian lawful system and legal executive has reacted to these trends and has acquired a few amendments the laws pertaining to juvenile justice in India.2 The Juvenile Justice System is the most dynamic and irradiated framework embraced by the world which deals with all-round development of children. The main focuses to give consideration to the unprotected children. The concept of juvenile justice was derived from a belief of problems that the hurdles of juvenile delinquency and youth in abnormal situations are not amenable to resolution within the ambit framework of the traditional process of criminal law.3

Rape in early China: two case studies

AbstractWith the exception of legal texts, surviving records of rape in early China have been the subject of little academic study to date. This is the result of a number of factors, including the criminalization of both consensual and non-consensual sex outside of marriage in ancient China, the tradition of using euphemistic vocabulary to refer to such topics, considerable variation, depending on time and place, as to what constitutes rape and discomfort that some very famous men are said to have committed crimes of rape and sexual violence. This article examines two famous and well-documented incidents – one concerning the rape of a woman in peacetime, the other an instance of mass gang rape during war – to explore the specific challenges of studying sexual violence in ancient civilizations. Ignoring early accounts of rape serves to significantly distort our understanding of some key events in Chinese history and perverts the textual record.

Forensic medicine dimension of gang rape cases against adolescents

Aim: Gang rape incidents are rarer than other forms of sexual abuse, and there is little research focusing on adolescent victims. The aim of this study is to describe the common characteristics of gang rape cases against adolescents and the forensic medical evaluation process.Method: News and medical literature published in the internet media were searched. Google search engine and Google Scholar were used as browser. Key words were “gang rape”, “young”, “child”, “adolescent”, “gang rape”,”young”, “child” and “adolescent”. After the search, descriptive news and literature samples on gang rape incidents against adolescent individuals were selected.Results: This study examined the gang rape incidents against adolescents, which were covered in the media. There were no time limitation. In the news and literature review, the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims and the descriptive features of the event were determined. Alcohol use was common. Psychological symptoms and consequences requiring continued health care, were evident.Conclusion: A systematic forensic examination and reporting including a psychological evaluation of the victim should be done. In order to prevent this type of sexual violence against adolescents, it is very important to be informed about gang rape.

Notes: The Krugersdorp gang rapes — Another Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S?

This note assesses the application of the common purpose doctrine to the crime of gang rape. The recent gang rape of eight women in West Village, Krugersdorp on 28 July 2022 received wide media coverage. If and when there is a prosecution, the courts will have to adjudicate on the application of the common purpose doctrine to the newly defined statutory crime of rape. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment) Act 32 of 2007 (‘SORMA’) came into effect on 16 December 2007. The Constitutional Court, in Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S 2020 (2) SACR 38 (CC), held that the common purpose doctrine was applicable to the autographic crime of common-law rape. Since the alleged crimes had occurred in 1998, SORMA was not applicable in this case. If the Krugersdorp gang rape incident reaches the Constitutional Court the case may provide the court with the opportunity to elucidate on the practical impact of its decision in Tshabalala v S; Ntuli v S.