Serafina Suicide
Family now fears social exclusion
Serafina Mardi’s family is not willing to take fresh legal action against the rapists fearing social exclusion.
The indigenous girl was gang raped and then set herself on fire succumbing to utter humiliation through her wedding to one of the rapists followed by an out-of-court settlement.
With no response from the victim family, police are too remaining silent about the nine rapists since they arrested 10 persons, including a catholic priest, involved in the arbitration.
The rapists went into hiding taking the advantage of the delay, said villagers.
“I don’t want any more problems by filing a fresh case. The villagers have started avoiding us since the arrest of the priest and other tribal leaders,” said Serafina’s father Cornelius Mardi.
He said, “We want justice and at the same time, a normal life.”
Serafina’s brother-in-law Jacob Soren said the villagers are holding them responsible for the arrests of the leaders and the priest leaving the rapists at large.
SM Rokon Uddin, superintendent of police in Rajshahi, said they found no one to file a case or willing to be a witness. Even the indigenous leaders declined to help them.
The arrests of the religious and tribal leaders leaving the rapists behind created resentment among the indigenous community, said Anil Marandi, president of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad.
“Christian and non-Christian tribal people have become divided as the Christians are blaming the non-Christians for their role behind the arrests of the leaders. But the bottom line is we want justice,” he said.
He informed that both the groups will sit in a meeting on Kakonhat Degree College premises Saturday to decide how they can help the authorities to ensure justice to the victim family.
Meanwhile, the victim family alleged that police and the court were aware of the out-of-court settlement during the trial of the rape case but did not provide necessary support to avoid the community pressure.
Before being arrested, Father Bernard Tudu and community leader Biswanath Tudu informed that they gave police a copy of the settlement.
The Rajshahi SP denied the claim.
However, Sayeda Morjina Khatun, public prosecutor of Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 that tried the rape case, said the victim’s father informed her about the settlement.
“We know it [settlement] was illegal, but the father of the victim was certain of not to continue with the legal process on plea of peace in the community,” she said.
Similar statement came from Dil Sitara Begum Chuni, president of Rajshahi divisional chapter of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association that provided legal support to the victim.
The families of the rapists and a few villagers of Amtulipara of Godagari said the rapists’ families managed Tk 3 lakh to compensate the victim’s family and some others to settle the rape incident outside court.
Selim Reza, an activist of Association for Community Development was also present at the settlement.
He told The Daily Star, “We protested the settlement and managed a safe shelter for the victim to continue her education alongside legal procedures. But her family forced her going back home.”
Courtesy of The Daily Star
