Rapist Sentenced To Be Slapped

A deaf and mute woman was raped earlier this week while returning from work in the village of Rampur, India. The village is about 205 miles northwest of Lucknow. That's right, a town called Lucknow is the only point of reference within 205 miles.

Police refused to arrest the man responsible, saying that because the woman was unable to talk, she could not narrate the incident. A spokesperson also added, "we can't be expected to bother with every little charge of sexual assault and battery, and if you think we are going to stand around watching some lowly woman do sign language, you've got another thing coming."

Because of the apathy of the authorities, the village court held a trial, and sentenced the man to be slapped publicly 51 times. This controversial landmark ruling has replaced the previous precedent of doing nothing. Many people feel that this is truly a step in the right direction for women's equality in India.

If you wonder where the figure of 51 slaps came from, it is actually an ancient Indian tradition, dating back almost 2,500 years. Alright, I made that up, it is actually an arbitrary number chosen by tribal leaders who had been into the ceremonial rum a little too early.

The man was also fined by the tribe in the amount of $110. While that may not sound like much for the brutal rape of a woman who can neither hear nor speak, to be fair, in Indian rupees, the sum is equivalent to about $1,450,293 dollars, or half the gross domestic product of India.