There is a news story here that has been going on for as long as I've been here. It's horribly tragic and really shows the worst side of people.
The short version of this story is that Falak, a two year old girl was left outside of New Delhi hospital so physically abused that whether or not she survives has been touch and go for the last three weeks. She was bruised, bitten, branded on her cheeks and has suffered brain damage as a result. Every morning the paper has an update on her condition and the whole nation seems to be behind her.
The story on how she got there is equally horrific. A man has been arrested for handing over Falak to his 14(!) year old girlfriend as part of a human trafficking ring. Falak's biological mother was forced into prostitution by her husband, before running away. From what I've gathered, the mother was then sold to another man, and her children taken away from her. Falak ended up with the man who was arrested and his young girlfriend and it is apparently the girlfriend who beat the child. But then, the 14 year old had escaped an abusive father to end up with a man who raped her repeatedly for three days before pimping her out to his customers and she took out her own frustration with her situation on Falak.
The whole story is stomach turning and is a sad tale of the state of women in this country and, I would say, of disenfranchised women around the globe. I've done a bit of Google searching and it seems to be news only here. I am always shocked that even though we can make such huge strides forward in the rights of women and basic human rights, this kind of abuse continues. These women are victims just by virtue of their sex and their poverty. Even if they could escape, there are very few places where they can go for help here, if they even know of their existence.
Here are some links. The entire story is a bit convoluted and I've noticed different new sources will post slightly different angles on the same thing. I've been following IBN.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/man-who-abandoned-baby-falak-arrested/229145-3.html
The short version of this story is that Falak, a two year old girl was left outside of New Delhi hospital so physically abused that whether or not she survives has been touch and go for the last three weeks. She was bruised, bitten, branded on her cheeks and has suffered brain damage as a result. Every morning the paper has an update on her condition and the whole nation seems to be behind her.
The story on how she got there is equally horrific. A man has been arrested for handing over Falak to his 14(!) year old girlfriend as part of a human trafficking ring. Falak's biological mother was forced into prostitution by her husband, before running away. From what I've gathered, the mother was then sold to another man, and her children taken away from her. Falak ended up with the man who was arrested and his young girlfriend and it is apparently the girlfriend who beat the child. But then, the 14 year old had escaped an abusive father to end up with a man who raped her repeatedly for three days before pimping her out to his customers and she took out her own frustration with her situation on Falak.
The whole story is stomach turning and is a sad tale of the state of women in this country and, I would say, of disenfranchised women around the globe. I've done a bit of Google searching and it seems to be news only here. I am always shocked that even though we can make such huge strides forward in the rights of women and basic human rights, this kind of abuse continues. These women are victims just by virtue of their sex and their poverty. Even if they could escape, there are very few places where they can go for help here, if they even know of their existence.
Here are some links. The entire story is a bit convoluted and I've noticed different new sources will post slightly different angles on the same thing. I've been following IBN.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/man-who-abandoned-baby-falak-arrested/229145-3.html
Awful. I have a mapper who focuses on women - maps4aid.com. Another is mapping human trafficking.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to get numb to such conditions. We need to keep what is human of ourselves.
Hugs
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Hi Sylvia: That is so tragic and unbelievable! I sincerely hope the doctors that are caring for that poor child will be successful and that the baby can live a normal life...By the way, keep up the great posts - love the one about the chickens!
ReplyDeleteCarol