Stalker Sets Schoolgirl on Fire in Deadly Attack in Southern India

India
India is ranked 17th on Open Door USA's World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution. Photo Credit: Reuters

The death of a schoolgirl three days after she was set on fire by a stalker in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has sparked outrage from activists who said the law was failing victims of unwanted advances from men.

In a statement to the police before she died, the 17-year-old said the man walked into her house in Villupuram on Monday, set himself on fire and hugged her, all the while saying that he would not let her live for spurning him.

"She said he had stalked her for over a year and she had said no repeatedly," police inspector Senthil Vinayakan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"The man has been booked for a similar offense earlier and had even spent time in jail. But no one anticipated this and now they are both dead."

The incident comes a month after a software engineer was hacked to death in broad daylight at a train station in the port city of Chennai. The man arrested for her murder had been stalking her for months, police said.

"Women, especially young girls, are more at risk today," said U.Vasuki of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA). "The fact that they have a right to reject just as a man has a right to propose seems to be becoming irrelevant."

Nearly four out of five women in India have faced public harassment ranging from staring, insults and wolf-whistling to being followed, groped or raped, said a recent survey by the charity ActionAid UK. [L3N18K2N8]

There were 337,922 reports of crimes against women such as rape, molestation, abduction and sexual offences in 2014, up nine percent from the previous year, according to the latest data from India's National Crime Records Bureau.

Protests after the fatal gang rape of a woman on a Delhi bus in December 2012 forced the government to enact stiffer penalties on gender crimes, which included criminalising stalking and voyeurism.

The amended law spelled out that sexual offences would include physical contact, advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures and a demand or request for sexual favours among other acts.

"But the law is failing to protect these young girls," Vasuki said, citing the case of a girl in Trichy stabbed inside her college campus for refusing the advances of a man earlier this year.

Similarly in March, in southern state of Andhra Pradesh, a teenage girl with 90 percent burns died just hours after she complained to the police about being stalked.

"Stalking is taken for granted in most cases, a sort of inconvenience that women are expected to put up with," said advocate Sudha Ramalingam.

"Though the new law has up to a five-year jail term for a repeat offender, not many families are encouraging their girls to file police complaints because of societal pressure and sometimes violent consequences."

    Most Popular
  • Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Faith-based films often receive mixed reactions, and The Last Supper is no exception. The movie attempts to bring a fresh perspective to one of the most iconic moments in Christian history, but does it succeed? Some reviews from critics and audiences provide insight into its strengths and shortcomings.

  • ‘The Chosen’ Season 5: The darkest season yet—What to know before watching

    The wait is over—The Chosen is back with its fifth season, and this time, things are getting intense. The new episodes dive straight into the final days of Jesus’ life, covering some of the most emotional and dramatic moments in the Bible. If you’ve been following the series, you already know that The Chosen isn’t just about retelling familiar stories—it’s about bringing them to life in a way that feels real.

  • Massacres in Syria: Over 1,000 dead, including Christians and Alawites

    Syria’s coastal regions have been devastated by a series of massacres, with reports indicating that over 1,000 people—many from Christian and Alawite communities—have been killed in brutal attacks. Entire families have been wiped out, and survivors are fleeing in search of safety as sectarian violence escalates.

  • Kim Sae-ron and Wheesung: The tragic irony of Korean society and the principles of happiness

    Not long ago, the media was in an uproar over actress Kim Sae-ron’s passing. Just months before, the same people who had relentlessly criticized her for her DUI incident were now expressing sympathy, saying, "The world was too harsh on her." The irony is impossible to ignore.

  • Newsboys move forward as a quartet after Michael Tait’s departure

    After more than a decade as the lead singer of the Newsboys, Michael Tait has officially parted ways with the band, marking a significant shift in the Christian rock group’s lineup. The remaining members—Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, and Adam Agee—have assured fans that they will continue forward, embracing a new season of music and ministry.