By Rebecca Mammen John

— She didn’t look like she had been raped.
— She looked composed and normal and was seen settling her hair.
— Where are the injuries?
— She didn’t go home after the incident but was seen at India Gate with a male friend. Good lord!
— She didn’t confide in a woman friend or relative about the incident.
— She is in multiple relationships. She is crazy, she is delusional, this is her revenge.
— She is a gold digger and has asked for huge amounts of money.
— She didn’t resist enough.
— She was out in a bar late at night. What did she expect?
— She is a divorcee.
— Who asked her to drive alone at such a late hour?
— Parents must control their 29 year old daughter.
— Look at her clothes. She is inviting trouble.
— We have given women too much freedom.
— She is a slut, she is a loose woman.
— Why can’t she compromise? What’s the big deal, guys?

These are arguments I have heard in courts over and over again and these are part of our social conversations. Clearly nothing has changed since Mathura.

Rebecca Mammen John is a senior advocate at the Delhi High Court. This was first published on Rebecca’s Facebook page here.