10 yrs after Dec 16 gangrape, victim’s mother says nothing has changed: ‘Mindset that girls are playthings remains’

Since then, Devi has not only vigorously pressed for punishment for the accused in the case, but has also been a vocal advocate for victims in other cases and for women’s safety at large.

On Friday, December 16, she spent a quiet day at home. “Samay toh nikalna hi hai… Time has gone by, today it is 10 years since the day. But we will never be the family we were before, the wounds persist. Whenever new incidents of assault against girls happen, we feel the trauma again,” she said.

When protests erupted in Delhi and other parts of the country following the assault, Devi said she had seen hope for a lasting and widespread societal change.

“After the incident, the whole country, the whole world got together for women’s safety. People came onto the streets, TV channels talked about it, promises were made. So we really thought things would get better, maybe something like this won’t happen. We got justice against (my daughter’s) attackers, they have been hanged. But there are so many other cases which no one talks about where there is no punishment. The condition is so bad that girls are not safe anywhere. All the change is on paper,” she said.
She said that she felt acutely aware of her persisting anger and frustration when news broke earlier this week of a 17-year-old girl being attacked with an acid-like substance by two men on motorcycle near her home in Dwarka.

“Just two days ago, right here in Delhi, there was an acid attack. What was the girl’s fault? She was just going to school. We haven’t been able to change this mindset that girls are playthings to do with as you please, who you can attack if they don’t do as you want,” she said.