There are troubling developments in the case of 8-year-old Asifa Bano, the Muslim nomad child who was gang-raped & murdered by several men in a Hindu temple in January 2018. It appears authorities are attempting to undo the convictions & get the rapists-murderers freed citing forced testimony & police investigator misconduct. In trying to understand what these legal developments mean for this little girl & for justice, I notice that all Indian media refer to her as the ‘Kathua rape case’ & none cite her by name. Since the entire world knows who she is, is there a legitimate reason for this omission? Because it appears as a way to depersonalize & detach from the unspeakable violence against a tiny child.
(Photo is Asifa Bano. May she Rest In Peace & see justice.)