An Indian mother remains in critical condition today after being severely beaten Monday for refusing to withdraw her complaint against a man who raped her daughter.
Police say that five men—including the accused rapist's father, brother and cousin—followed the mother from her home and attacked her. She suffered broken bones and internal injuries.
Sunny, son of Basant Lal Yadav, is accused of raping the woman's 16-year-old daughter in her home in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh on May 11.
Superintendent Dinesh Kumar said that the police have arrested three of the men involved, and are looking for the remaining two.
Slow police response in apprehending rape suspects and pressure to not file reports of rape are common complaints among victims' families in India.
Budaun, Uttar Pradesh villagers protested police inaction on Wednesday by initially refusing to let police retrieve the bodies of two cousins who were gang raped and hung from a mango tree.
The girls, ages 14 and 15, were walking to a field to use the bathroom when they disappeared Tuesday night.
Missing person reports by the families were not filed by Budaun police officers, and the villagers accused the police department of protecting the assailants.
Four of the five suspects were in custody Thursday, and two of the arrested men are constables.
According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights, between 2001 and 2011, there was an average of over 4,800 child rape cases in India per year. Girls in low-caste communities are often targeted, and the cases overlooked.
All India Democratic Women's Association Vice President Jagmati Sangwan said that the likelihood of justice being served diminishes further when law enforcement officials are the perpetrators.
"It's not easy when the police are involved. The women organizations will raise their voice if the administration does not take proper action," she told IBN Live.
