Nun-turned activist puts Villupuram rapists in the dock

While Rani’s parents wanted to put the incident behind them, Lucy persuaded them to file a complaint against the rapists at the Vannur police station. She also ensured that the police arranged for the little girl to identify her rapists. The men were remanded to custody and are now in prison awaiting trial. However, for Lucy and her colleagues, it has been a hard struggle. Lucy accuses the district police of not bothering to investigate complaints of rape

In 2002, 17-year-old Jayalakshmi from Vallam village in the district was raped by Ramasamy, a person from the upper caste. Intimidated by Ramasamy and his relatives, the girl did not tell her parents about the incident. Ramasamy quietly took her to a quack, when she was more than four months pregnant, for an abortion. Jayalakshmi died due to excessive bleeding. The girl was even cremated and the criminals thought that they could now move freely, untill Lucy initiated a case. Evidence was dug up from the Vallam burial ground after three years and the case came up for trial. Ramasamy, the primary accused, died a year later after he was accidentally electrocuted. While the court acquitted the other accused, including Ramasamy’s brother and the quack, it ordered that they pay a compensation of Rs. two lakh to the girl’s parents.

‘‘In the last three months alone, nine cases of rape (including rape of three minors) have been brought to my notice,’’ says Lucy. But the incident that shook the country was the gang rape of 18-year-old Selvi by six jail staff. The incident took place in 2002 in the Senji sub-jail in Villupuram district. The girl, who had run away from home fleeing her sister’s harassment, was kidnapped and sold to prostitution. When some truck drivers attempted to rescue her on her insistence, the Senji police arrested Selvi on charges of immoral trafficking. Later she was gang raped while in judicial custody.

Lucy, who took up Selvi’s case, was first to point out to officials that the girl had been gang raped. Thanks to her efforts, the enquiry was instituted. Four jail wardens, two pimps and a brothel owner are now in prison. The state government gave Selvi Rs. five lakh as compensation and allotted a flat in a state housing board colony.

‘‘It has been a hard and long struggle. But, today we are happy that we have initiated a cultural change, emboldening repressed and victimised women to fight for their rights. My dream is to set up a centre of empowerment in Villupuram for women, victims and equip them to deal with life, bring about a change in society, morally and culturally,’’ says the courageous woman.

Names of all the victims have been changed.