Eight people were arrested by Indian police in connection with the assault on a 16 year old girl, who was held for more than twelve hours in a bungalow in Palghar, Maharashtra, India.
One man is alleged to have lured the teenager to a beach house on Friday, after which the group repeatedly assaulted her through the night and into the following morning.
A police spokesperson told NDTV that the complaint filed on Saturday states the assault began at about 8:00 pm on 16 December and continued until 11:00 am the next day.
According to the statement, the accused took the girl to an empty bungalow and took turns raping her. They were later brought ashore and subjected to further harassment there.
Impunity in the country
Rape and other sexual crimes have long drawn public attention in India. The issue surged into focus again after a brutal assault and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus in December 2012, which sparked widespread protests and demands for stricter laws and faster justice.
The 2019 report from the National Crime Records Bureau shows that tens of thousands of sexual violence cases are reported each year, with roughly dozens each day across the country. The report notes that many offenders escape conviction and that the legal system has struggled to translate complaints into proportionate punishment.
Impunity remains a grim refrain: conviction rates for reported rapes are relatively low, and social stigma surrounding victims often discourages reporting. These pressures can silence survivors, complicating efforts to bring cases to court and secure remand or sentencing. The ongoing challenge lies in bridging the gap between reporting and accountability, while ensuring the protection and support of survivors within the legal framework.