SURPRISINGLY, a civilisation like Mesopotamia was so much concerned about the offence of rape that it had laws dealing with the crime. Unfortunately, we continue to face the same crime even today. What is more problematic is the fact that the culprits of such a heinous crime are not punished as per the law, and are often ‘protected’ by the system.

The government must enforce stringent laws against sexual abuse. These should be lengthy prison terms without bails and paroles. Besides, we need to have a special force dealing with such cases. The force must have female paramedics, lady police officers and on-ground medical teams that must respond expeditiously.

Most of the rape cases currently go unreported. To combat the issue, all societal tiers, like civil society organi-sations, educational institutions and parents, must play a constructive role. Only then will we get to see a considerable change in this utterly critical regard.

Jibran Baig
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2024