The Women's Commission of Andhra Pradesh wants knives to be distributed to college girls

Rapists should be "skinned" and "paraded" in public and knives should be distributed among college girls so they can protect themselves from crimes like rape. This was what Nannapaneni Rajakumari, the chairperson of the Women's Commission of Andhra Pradesh said today after meeting two women who had been raped.The women, who were allegedly raped by 8 men, are recuperating in a government hospital in Visakhapatnam. "When some men behave like wild animals and resort to such atrocious acts, I think there is a need to equip girls with knives. A law is needed for this," Ms Rajakumari told reporters.According to reports, the women had gone to a local fair on Saturday, along with their two male friends. The four decided to take shelter in front of a closed shop as it had started raining. After a while, the accused reached there, chased away the men and took turns to rape the women."We will skin them (rapists). Police, too, should not mask the rapists' faces whenever they are caught. Instead, they have to be paraded in streets, thrashed with footwear and brooms and only then lodged in police station," the former legislator said.She called for mandatory installation of closed-circuit television cameras in colleges, hostels, work places and hospitals, which, she said, should to check crime against women.After the incident the two women informed their parents, who instead of lodging a police complaint approached the village elders.The village elders then tried to cover up the case by asking the alleged culprits to pay Rs 50,000 to the rape survivors. The women refused to accept the money and insisted that a police complaint to be filed.Police cases against the accused were registered for rape and committing atrocities on tribal and the girls were sent for medical examination.

All 8 men accused in the case, including sons of a block elected representative and a head constable and their six friends have been absconding.(with inputs from agencies)