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| European Parliament in Brussels [PHOTO: Steve Cadman/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0] |
Brussels/Strasbourg/New Delhi: European Parliament (EP) has demanded immediate action to
improve the handling of rape and sexual assault cases by the Indian police and
condemned all form of sexual violence, with a specific reference to the
treatment of Dalit women and girls.
In a news release posted on EP’s website, the members (MEPs)
welcomed “the great wave of solidarity in India and internationally with rape
victims and hopes that this will help speed up the necessary reforms."
MEPs further pointed out that, as a democratic partner of
the EU, India must "uphold the rule of law and ensure respect for fundamental
and human rights, in particular women's rights." They regretted the lack of assistance for victims and called
for open trials in cases of sexual violence.
Parliament also called on the EU and the member states to
prioritise programmes addressing violence against women and focusing on women
and girls.
Notably, recent and apparently increased sexual assaults in India has triggered national and global outrage, subsequently bringing shame to the New Delhi government.