INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A Bangladesh court has sentenced 16 people to death for the murder of a student set on fire after accusing her teacher of sexual
harassment.Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 19, died in April in Feni, a small town some 160km (100 miles) outside the capital Dhaka.The headteacher
Nusrat had accused of harassment and two female classmates were among those convicted.Her murder shocked the country and led to a series of
protests demanding justice for Nusrat.The trial has been one of the quickest in a country where such cases usually take years to conclude
Prosecutor Hafez Ahmed told reporters it proved "that nobody will get away with murder in Bangladesh".Lawyers for the defendants say they
will appeal.The investigation into Nusrat's death revealed a conspiracy to silence her which included her own classmates and a number of
powerful men from within the community.Three teachers, including the headmaster, Siraj Ud Doula, who police say ordered the killing from
prison after he was arrested under suspicion of harassment, were found guilty by the court on Thursday
Another two of the defendants convicted, Ruhul Amin and Maksud Alam, are local leaders of the ruling Awami League party.A number of local
police were found to have collaborated with those convicted in spreading false information that Nusrat had committed suicide
The officers were not among those tried for Nusrat's murder.Nusrat went to police to allege headteacher Siraj Ud Doula (centre) sexually
harassed her last MarchNusrat's family, who supported her decision to go to police back in March, have since been given police protection
Her brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman said they were still in fear for their lives."You already know they threatened me in public inside the
courtroom," he told reporters
I am urging the prime minister to ensure our security
And the police super should also keep a track on our wellbeing."However, the family welcomed the verdict, asking for the sentence to be
In Bangladesh, the death penalty is carried out by hangingWhen the judge announced the verdict, some of the defendants burst into tears,
while others shouted out across the courtroom that they had been denied justice.But in Bangladesh, it is more usually women like Nusrat who
are denied justice.Sexual harassment in Bangladesh's education institutions - including madrassas like the one Nusrat attended - is
widespread, while the cost of speaking out is high.What happened to Nusrat?She was lured to her school's rooftop on 6 April this year, 11
days after she reported the headmaster to police for repeatedly touching her inappropriately.Nusrat was then surrounded by four or five
people wearing burqas, pressuring her to withdraw her complaint.When she refused, they set her on fire.According to police, they had hoped
to make it look like a suicide
Instead, she managed to escape and get help.The investigation revealed a widespread plot involving 16 people (seen here inside a prison
van)But knowing she was badly hurt, she gave a statement which her brother filmed on his phone."The teacher touched me, I will fight this
crime till my last breath," she says, naming some of her attackers.Nusrat, who had sustained burns to 80% of her body, died four days later,
on 10 April.How widespread is sexual abuse in Bangladesh?Sexual harassment is thought to be relatively commonplace in Bangladesh: a recent
report by charity ActionAid earlier this year found 80% of women working in Bangladesh's garment industry have either seen or experienced
sexual violence at work.Meanwhile, women's rights group Mahila Parishad said that, in the first six months of 2019, a total of 26 women were
killed after being sexually assaulted, 592 were allegedly raped and 113 women said they were gang raped.However, these are just the reported
figures: there are fears the true number is far higher.Speaking out like Nusrat is still uncommon as reporting sexual harassment carries
Victims often face judgement from their communities, harassment, in person and online, and in some cases violent attacks
Susrat was particularly unusual because she went to the police
They filmed her statement on a mobile phone - which was later leaked to the media.Meanwhile, protesters took to the streets to demand the
release of the headmaster, leading her family to fear for her safety.How did the public react to Nusrat's murder?The case sparked mass
protests in Bangladesh and shone a spotlight on the vulnerability of victims of sexual assault and harassment in the country.Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina publicly pledged that "none of the culprits will be spared from legal action"
Her interest in the case was praised by the family."We never imagined that justice will be ensured so fast by the prime minister," Mahmudul
Hasan Noman told reporters
"We want to express our gratitude to her directly in person
Hopefully she will give us a chance to do it
"The police initially dismissed the sexual harassment allegations but laid charges against the 16 accused in May
The specially fast-tracked hearing took just 62 days to complete.Activists say the killing exposed a culture of impunity around sex crimes
Whether more victims of sexual abuse will feel emboldened to come forward following Nusrat's case remains to be seen.
Burned to death for
reporting sexual harassmentBy Mir SabbirBBC Bengali, Dhaka18 April 2019Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with
Twitter Share this with Email ShareImage copyrightFAMILY HANDOUTNusrat Jahan Rafi was doused with kerosene and set on fire at her school in
Less than two weeks earlier, she had filed a sexual harassment complaint against her headmaster.
Her courage in speaking out against sexual
assault, her death five days after being set alight and everything that happened in-between has gripped Bangladesh and brought attention to
the vulnerability of sexual harassment victims in this conservative South Asian country.
Nusrat, who was 19, was from Feni, a small town
100 miles (160km) south of Dhaka
She was studying at a madrassa, or Islamic school
On 27 March, she said the headmaster called her into his office and repeatedly touched her in an inappropriate manner
Before things could go any further she ran out.
Many girls and young women in Bangladesh choose to keep their experiences of sexual
harassment or abuse secret for fear of being shamed by society or their families
What made Nusrat Jahan different is that she didn't just speak out - she went to the police with the help of her family on the day the
alleged abuse happened.
At the local police station she gave a statement
She should have been provided with a safe environment to recall her traumatic experiences
Instead she was filmed by the officer in charge on his phone as she described the ordeal.
In the video Nusrat is visibly distressed and
tries to hide her face with her hands
The policeman is heard calling the complaint "no big deal" and telling her to move her hands from her face
The video was later leaked to local media.
'I tried to take her to school'Image copyrightNURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGESImage captionProtests have
been held in Dhaka and in Feni - Nusrat's hometownNusrat Jahan Rafi was from a small town, came from a conservative family, and went to a
For a girl in her position, reporting sexual harassment can come with consequences
Victims often face judgement from their communities, harassment, in person and online, and in some cases violent attacks
Nusrat went on to experience all of these.
On 27 March, after she went to the police, they arrested the headmaster
Things then got worse for Nusrat
A group of people gathered in the streets demanding his release
The protest had been arranged by two male students and local politicians were allegedly in attendance
People began to blame Nusrat
Her family say they started to worry about her safety.
Nevertheless, on 6 April, 11 days after the alleged sexual assault, Nusrat went to
her school to sit her final exams.
"I tried to take my sister to school and tried to enter the premises, but I was stopped and wasn't
allowed to enter," said Nusrat's brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman.
"If I hadn't been stopped, something like this wouldn't have happened to my
sister," he said.
Image copyrightSHAHADAT HOSSAINImage captionNusrat Jahan's brother grieves at her funeralAccording to a statement given
by Nusrat, a fellow female student took her to the roof of the school, saying one of her friends was being beaten up
When Nusrat reached the rooftop four or five people, wearing burqas, surrounded her and allegedly pressured her to withdraw the case against
When she refused, they set her on fire.
Police Bureau of Investigation chief Banaj Kumar Majumder said the killers wanted "to make it look
Their plan failed when Nusrat was rescued after they fled the scene
She was able to give a statement before she died.
"One of the killers was holding her head down with his hands, so kerosene wasn't poured
there and that's why her head wasn't burned," Mr Majumder told BBC Bengali.
But when Nusrat was taken to a local hospital, doctors found
burns covering 80% of her body
Unable to treat the burns, they sent her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
In the ambulance, fearing she might not survive, she recorded a
statement on her brother's mobile phone.
"The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath," you can hear her say.
She
also identified some of her attackers as students at the madrassa.
Woman 'gang raped over voting choice'Bangladesh rallies over teen
killingShamed again in the age of FacebookNews of Nusrat's health dominated Bangladeshi media
Thousands of people turned out for her funeral in Feni.
Police have since arrested 15 people, seven of them allegedly involved in the
Among those arrested are the two male students who organised the protest in support of the headmaster
The headmaster himself remains in custody
The policeman who filmed Nusrat's sexual harassment complaint has been removed from his post and transferred to another department.
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina met Nusrat's family in Dhaka and promised that every person involved in the killing would be brought to justice
"None of the culprits will be spared from legal action," she said.
Image copyrightSHAHADAT HOSSAINImage captionHuge crowds gathered in
Nusrat's hometown for her funeralNusrat's death has sparked protests and thousands have used social media to express their anger about both
her case and the treatment of sexual assault victims in Bangladesh.
"Many girls don't protest out of fear after such incidents
Burqas, even dresses made of iron cannot stop rapists," said Anowar Sheikh on BBC Bengali's Facebook page.
"I wanted a daughter my whole
life, but now I am afraid
Giving birth to a daughter in this country means a life of fear and worry," wrote Lopa Hossain in her Facebook post.
According to women's
rights group Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, there were 940 incidents of rape in Bangladesh in 2018
But researchers say the real number is likely to be much higher.
The 'womanspreading' placard that caused fury in PakistanSexual harassment
on 'my first flight'The women left behind by #MeToo in India"When a woman tries to get justice for sexual harassment, she has to face a lot
The case lingers for years, there is shaming in society, a lack of willingness from police to properly investigate the allegations," said
Salma Ali, a human rights lawyer and former director of the Women Lawyers' Association.
"It leads the victim to give up on seeking justice
Ultimately the criminals don't get punished and they do the same crime again
Others don't fear to do the same because of such examples."Now people are asking: Why did Nusrat's case only get attention after she was
attacked? And will her case change the way people view sexual harassment in Bangladesh?Nusrat's family have been left distraughtIn 2009, the
country's Supreme Court passed an order to establish sexual harassment cells in all educational institutions where students can take their
complaints, but very few schools have taken up the initiative
Activists are now demanding the order be implemented and enshrined in law to protect students."This incident has shaken us, but as we have
seen in the past, such incidents get forgotten in time
I don't think there will be a big change after this
We have to see if justice gets done," said Professor Kaberi Gayen of the University of Dhaka."Change has to come in, both psychologically
and in implementing the rule of law
Awareness about sexual harassment should be raised from childhood in schools," she said."They have to learn what is right and wrong when it
comes to sexual harassment."
The women killed on one day around the world25 November 2018Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger
Share this with Twitter Share this with Email ShareAn average of 137 women across the world are killed by a partner or family member every
day, according to new data released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
They say it makes "the home the most likely
place for a woman to be killed".
More than half of the 87,000 women killed in 2017 were reported as dying at the hands of those closest to
them.
Of that figure, approximately 30,000 women were killed by an intimate partner and another 20,000 by a relative.
BBC 100 Women wanted
to find out more about the women behind the numbers
We spent October monitoring reports of gender-related killings of women on the first day of that month
We will share some of their stories below and find out more about how these killings were reported.
Male homicide rates still higherThe
data collected by UNODC highlights that "men are around four times more likely than women to lose their lives as a result of intentional
homicide".
The UN indicates that men accounted for eight out of 10 homicide victims worldwide.
However, the same report suggests that more
than eight out of 10 victims of homicides committed by intimate partners are female.
"Intimate partner violence continues to take a
disproportionately heavy toll on women," the report states.
Forty-seven women, 21 countries, one dayThe UN statistics summarise the
findings for 2017 based on homicide statistics provided by government sources
The figures for "gender-related killings of women and girls", or "femicide", are collated using the criteria of intimate
partner/family-related homicide.
BBC 100 Women and BBC Monitoring set out to find out more about the women behind the numbers.
We
monitored press coverage of women killed by another person on 1 October 2018 around the world
Our regional specialists counted 47 women reported killed, apparently for gender-related reasons, in 21 different countries
Most of these killings are still being investigated.
Women whose killings were reported by the media on 1 October 2018Neha Sharad
Chaudhary, age 18, was killed in Malegaon, IndiaAn unnamed woman, age 31, was killed in Mashhad, IranLinda Miller, age 66, was killed in
Indianapolis, United StatesAn unnamed girl, age 17, was killed in Alipur, IndiaJudith Chesang, age 22, was killed in Baringo, KenyaFarzana
Bibi, age 22, was killed in Pakpattan, PakistanDina Mapelli, age 77, was killed in Vimercate, ItalySandra Lucia Hammer Moura, age 39, was
killed in Palmas, BrazilJennifer Majín Males, age 24, was killed in Los Cámbulos, ColombiaAn unnamed woman, age 82, was killed in
Dracsani, RomaniaYanet Nuñez Niclouse, age 46, was killed in Rio Claro, ChileRitu Devi, age unknown, was killed in Neeli, IndiaAn unnamed
woman, age 30, was killed in Amsterdam, NetherlandsAn unnamed girl, age five, was killed in Amsterdam, NetherlandsAn unnamed woman, age 67,
was killed in Amsterdam, NetherlandsKatty Mayorly Jácome Hernández, age 34, was killed in Cúcuta, ColombiaNiah, age unknown, was killed
in Dumai, IndonesiaMarie-Amelie Vaillat, age 36, was killed in Oyonnax, FranceAn unnamed woman, age 85, was killed in Kawasaki, JapanVanessa
Vicente da Silva, age 27, was killed in Serra Talhada, BrazilResti Nova Dila, age 20, was killed in South Solok, IndonesiaT
Zh, age unknown, was killed in Asaka district, UzbekistanJustina Coelho Lopes, age 69, was killed in Bauru, BrazilGriselda Iria Osorio
Álvarez, age 21, was killed in Tijuana, MexicoEdineuza Costa Silva was killed in Quixeramobim, BrazilPaula Andrea Alvarez Morales, age 35,
was killed in Ciudad Bolivar, ColombiaAn unnamed girl was killed in Tandlianwala, PakistanMaria Gladis Herrera de Damian, age 55, was killed
in San Pedro Puxtla, El SalvadorTábata Amscoli de Paz López, age 18, was killed in Guatemala City, GuatemalaBarbie Pigg, age 49, was
killed in Middlesbrough, UKLeoncia Tupas, age 67, was killed in Quezon City, PhilippinesVilma Josefina Contreras, age 55, was killed in
Huiziltepeque, El SalvadorAn unnamed woman was killed in Belem, BrazilAn unnamed woman, age 39, was killed in Campeche, MexicoEmily Punzalan
Bucay, age 27, was killed in Quezon City, PhilippinesAn unnamed woman was killed in Tapachula, MexicoGabriela da Rosa Silva, age 18, was
killed in Porto Alegre, BrazilAn unnamed woman was killed in Lahore, PakistanZeinab Sekaanvand, age 24, was killed in Urumieh, IranUnmar
Sanam, age 50, was killed in Birmingham, UKRute Maria da Conceicao, age 36, was killed in Olinda, BrazilAvan Najmadeen, age 32, was killed
in Stoke-on-Trent, UKKaren Groves, age 58, was killed in Indianapolis, United StatesDamaris Yoselin "N", age 18, was killed in Acapulco,
MexicoMilaine Ferreira de Oliveira, age 19, was killed in Minas Gerais, BrazilAn unnamed woman, age 61, was killed in Vanj district,
TajikistanSupinah, age 48, was killed in Sekadau Hilir, IndonesiaAn unnamed girl, age 17, was killed in Alipur, India
Here are five of
these cases, reported initially by local media and then verified by local authorities the BBC contacted.
Image copyrightFAMILY
HANDOUTJudith Chesang, 22, KenyaOn Monday 1 October, Judith Chesang and her sister Nancy were out in the fields harvesting their sorghum
crop.
Judith, a mother of three, had recently separated from her husband, Laban Kamuren, and had decided to return to her parents' village
in the north of the country.
Soon after the sisters began their duties, he arrived at the family farm where he attacked and killed
Judith.
Local police say he has since been killed by villagers.
Africa was where women ran the greatest risk of being killed by their
intimate partner or family member, the UN report says
It occurred at a rate of 3.1 deaths per 100,000 people.
Asia had the greatest number of women killed by intimate partners or family members
in 2017, with a total of 20,000.
Image copyrightMANOHAR SHEWALENeha Sharad Chaudury, 18, IndiaNeha Sharad Chaudury died in a suspected
"honour" killing on her 18th birthday
She had been out celebrating with her boyfriend
Police confirmed to the BBC that her parents did not approve of the relationship.
Her parents and another male relative are accused of
killing her in their home that evening.
The investigation continues and the three remain in judicial custody awaiting trial.
The BBC has
learned from the lawyer representing Neha's parents and her male relative that they intend to deny the charges.
Hundreds of people are
killed each year for falling in love or marrying against their families' wishes
Official data on so-called honour killings is hard to come by as such crimes are often unrecorded or unreported.
Image copyrightPRIVATE VIA
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALZeinab Sekaanvan, 24, IranZeinab Sekaanvan was executed by the Iranian authorities for murdering her husband.
Zeinab
was born in the north-west of Iran into a poor conservative family of Kurdish origin
She ran away as a teenager to marry in the hope of finding a better life.
Amnesty International says her husband was abusive and had
refused to grant her a divorce, and that her complaints were ignored by police.
She was arrested for the killing of her husband at the age
of 17.
Her supporters, including Amnesty, say she was tortured to confess to the killing of her husband, beaten by police and did not
receive a fair trial.
The UNODC report suggests women who kill intimate partners have often experienced "extended periods of suffering
physical violence".
Meanwhile, the motivations typically expressed by male perpetrators include "possessiveness, jealousy and fear of
abandonment", the report says
This appears to be the case with another long-term couple who were found dead in Brazil on the same day that Zeinab was executed.
Image
copyrightREPRODUCTION / FACEBOOKSandra Lucia Hammer Moura, 39, BrazilSandra Lucia Hammer Moura married Augusto Aguiar Ribeiro at the age of
16.
The couple had been separated for five months when she was killed by him.
Police in Jardim Taquari confirmed to BBC Brasil that she
was stabbed in the neck.
They found a video of her husband confessing to the crime on his mobile phone
In it, he said that Sandra was already dating another man and he felt betrayed.
He also said in the video that he would not be arrested as
the couple would go to the "glory of the Lord" together
He then hanged himself in what had been their bedroom.
Sandra's case highlights a form of killing known as a "murder-suicide" - when an
individual kills one or more people before killing themselves.
BBC Monitoring found 14 cases of women killed on 1 October this year in
Two were in El Salvador.
Authorities in El Salvador have told the BBC that at least 300 women have been killed so far in 2018
Karla Turcios is one of them
Watch her story here.
Media captionIs El Salvador the worst country to be a woman?Image copyrightPHOTOPQR/LE PROGRES/PHOTO JEAN-PIERRE
BALFINMarie-Amélie Vaillat, 36, FranceMarie-Amélie was stabbed to death by her husband, Sébastien Vaillat.
The couple had separated
after four years of marriage.
He attacked her with a knife before confessing to the police
A few days later, he killed himself in prison.
Outside the door of Marie-Amélie Vaillat's lingerie shop on Rue Bichat, residents left a
sea of flowers and organised a march in her memory.
The killing of Marie-Amélie came on the same day that the French government announced
new plans to tackle domestic abuse.
A march in memory of Marie-Amélie VaillatWhat does it take for a woman's killing to be reported?To
collect these stories, BBC Monitoring's international network of journalists and researchers analysed TV, radio, print, online and social
media around the world, looking for reports of women killed, apparently for gender-related reasons, on 1 October 2018.
They found a total
of 47 reports of women killed on that one day around the world
We have shared just some of those cases
There are many more where the motives were unclear, or the perpetrators unidentified.
The new UNODC report suggests that a large share of
violence against women is "widely underreported to authorities and that a large share of such violence is hidden".
Rebecca Skippage, who
led the project for BBC Monitoring, found that behind the numbers, "the way in which the media reported their lives and deaths revealed a
huge amount about how women are viewed by different societies around the world".
She explains: "We were looking for deaths within one day,
but we searched for that day's stories for a month
We found that the time-lag in reporting, the tone of the coverage or the scarcity of information often told a wider tale about the status of
women in that region."
Maryam Azwer works for BBC Monitoring and drew much of the final data together.
"This is as much about the deaths
that aren't reported, as those that are," she says.
"Those whose stories never reached the media, that went unreported, were unverified, or
were not or could not be investigated
It makes you wonder: what does it take to make a woman's killing important enough to be reported?"
