Okay, let's say we hang them. Who will you hang? Those convicted by court, right? Less than 4% of those accused of rape get convicted in Pakistan.
Many don't report. Those who do, for many police won't file FIR, only kacha parcha. Those who make it past that (1/?)
Medico-legal exam done too late or not done bec not available.Evidence compromised. If you cross that hurdle, police doesn't examine crime scene & focus only on reliability of accused & perpetrator. Tell accused to go find their own witnesses. If that gets done (2/?)
Chalaan delayed, not submitted, money exchanged. If that gets done, women change testimony before magistrate (wasn't him, someone else, don't remember etc) bec in intervening time, threats, intimidation, what will happen to family, payoff etc. If she stands firm then (3/?)
Case goes to public prosecutor, who have no idea/training/experience/interest in rape cases. If she supplements with private lawyer & trial starts, courts kick in. Why were u there?What were u wearing? How much was consent? Why you? He's respectable - father, pious, son etc (4/?)
Then witnesses resile, get paid off. Woman retracts, possibly settles out of court under pressure. By now, neighbour's, relatives hostile, family can't afford money/ sitting in courts for hearings for months on end. Years have passed, NGOs/media/outrage has moved on (5/?)
Judgment of trial court carries lower judiciary's biases. All lawyers know it and strategize that guy will off with nothing, will appeal in high court & women stand a chance there. Acquitted. Then it starts all over again. In high court. (6/?)
For hanging, it would then go from high court to Supreme Court. Process can take upwards of 6 years. Meanwhile, rape cases continue to happen monthly, weekly, daily, piling up.
There is no short cut outside a functional system. Stop attrition. That's all that will work. (end)
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