Reporting on Crimes against women

On hearing about the gruesome crimes that are perpetrated on women, the whole community no doubt stands by the victim’s family at their hour of crisis and the media does substantial reporting on them.  The antecedents of the victim, her trauma, her family background, the anguish undergone by her family are all covered in detail.  Sometimes after a period of time, the media revisits them to review how the family has coped with the crises.

This might in a certain way, help the victim’s family to know that the community stands by them and empathizes with them.  But many a time they might wish that the spotlight turns away from them, so that they can grieve in private.  Also it does entirely spare the family of the persons who commit these crimes.

Often it is the family which shapes the attitudes of a person towards women.  Several boys are brought up with poor parenting.

While the society thinks of various deterrent punishments, it needs to be considered that any action by the community would be more effective than any other punishment awarded legally.

The anonymity enjoyed by the criminal’s family only helps breeding of wrong attitudes. The media focus should turn to the family of the perpetrator who really are responsible for unleashing a criminal on the society.   This would help parents of boys be more guarded, to take more care on their son’s attitudes and activities.

In a world where there may not be a support system for the women to fall back on in future, it is vital that we ensure that parents of boys understand their responsibilities or face the consequences. It would also make the criminals think twice before they engage themselves in crimes against women. To spare their feelings would no doubt only encourage them.