NCJ Number
185477
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Dated: 2000 Pages: 352-356
Date Published
2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses cultural perspectives defining the legality and ethics of an act; attitudes toward male/female sexuality; and changing cultural ethos as an impetus to legislation.
Abstract
The article examines stories of three Indian heroines: a feminist activist who was born to the lowest of classes; a 14-year-old bride who was raped by her father-in-law; and the woman to whom the victim confessed the rape, the offender's mother. The older woman went to the Women's Rights Union to seek their help in punishing her son for the rape. What makes the story noteworthy is the shift from the usual course of events, thanks in large part to the gathering momentum of the feminist movement in India. The rape victim was offered refuge in the home of her grandmother-in-law, protecting her from her own father, who had ordered her to commit suicide to restore their family's honor. The victim's own honor was restored by a public ceremony in which she struck her husband and her father in the head with a shoe. The article discusses three issues generated by the Indian events: how culture defines the legality and ethics of an act; sexuality and shame; and impetus to change. References