NEW DELHI: The family of the Hathras rape and murder victim should be immediately provided with psycho-social support by government agencies, urged a fact-finding team of the National Dalit Movement for Justice — a coalition of Dalit organisations.
The family has faced severe stress through surveillance by the police and media, the team said in its report. Dalit children in the area faced casteist slurs, the women said they feared atrocities by dominant caste people in the area.
The Supreme Court had recently ordered that security be provided to the victim’s family and witnesses in the case. The Dalit coalition said with monetary assistance, a continuous and comprehensive guided psycho-social support by mental health professionals should be provided to the family members to rehabilitate them from the mental trauma they have been undergoing through the loss of their daughter and the police and media scrutiny that they were subjected to.
During interactions with the family members, they expressed their grief over not even being able to conduct the last rites of their daughter and said they felt helpless over the existing situation, according to the report.
The role of the state police and administration in the entire case was “anti-Dalit”, “biased and apathetic”, the fact-finding team said. There was no action against the protest of dominant caste people who had gathered there despite Section 144 of the CrPC being imposed at that place, it added.
There were four Dalit families in the village and the practice of untouchability was prevalent, the team said. The Dalits did not feel comfortable to send their children to the schools. There was a primary government school in the village and Dalit children faced caste-based discrimination there, it said.