Yet another woman tourist was allegedly sexually assaulted in Goa on 18th feb. Scarlett, a 15 year old British girl was found dead at the Anjuna beach in Goa. The police did what they are so good at, convinced the public, the media and the mother that it was an accident and that she had drowned. The autopsy also reported the same. Scarlett’s mother however thinks differently. She alludes to chances of her daughter being sexually assaulted and murdered. This joins the long list of such cases reported from Goa (try googling ‘woman raped in Goa’) . A second autopsy report was done under the pressure of the chief minister who has taken direct control over the investigation but it too has reported drowning as the cause of the death but it said that the number of bruises suggest that the death was definitely not an accident. A full scale investigation is now under way.

What is disgusting to note, is that the police tried to hush up the case. Despite the mothers request to see her daughters body before the autopsy, the police was intent on moving it. There are all clues to suggest foul play. A state that is dependent on tourism for most of its revenue, should be more than just concerned about the security of its tourists. Goa Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco has demanded dismissal of police officers who carelessly handled the case. We all know about the high rate with which crime is committed against women in India but with incidents like these, we are sure to make a mark globally as well.

A few weeks ago the the news of rape committed right in a high security zone (in fact right in front of the Governor of Punjabs house) by some police officials (two Haryana armed police personnel and a commando), became the national news but failed to make it to the Parliament. A couple of weeks later this incident makes news. It would be naive to think things are going to get any better. We are going forward so quickly that incidents like these are minor trips and falls. We stand up, dust ourselves and keep walking like nothing ever happened. The problem is that the more we keep ignoring these incidents, the more we begin to treat them as a part of our daily lives, just like we already have accepted eve teasing. This is one of those issues the neo media has attacked with full force. Projects like blank noise have done more than the law authorities in making the community more aware about harassment and ways of coping. We desperately need one Blogathon for crime against women especially addressing how ordinary people like us can do something about it. May be the one soon to go live is listening, cause my belief on the existing law system and law keepers is a little below the mark.