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After I Was Raped: The Untold Lives of Five Survivors
‘Terrific … uplifting. Read it’ SOHAILA ABDULALI What happens after rape? As the world moves on after expressing outrage, what happens to the survivors who are left to fend for themselves in an apathetic society and a nonchalant judicial system? In After I Was Raped, we meet five a four-year-old girl, an eightmonth-old infant, two Dalit women and a young professional. Through extensive interviews with them or their families and communities at large, Urmi Bhattacheryya reveals the stories of five survivors of sexual violence, as they recount how their lives and relationships have changed in the aftermath of assault. Shamed and ostracized, weighed down by guilt and depression, they continue to brave the most challenging realities. At a time when only high-profile, sensationalized cases of sexual violence provoke a collective reaction and many stories go unheard, Bhattacheryya’s sensitive portrayal of the lives of these little-known survivors seeks to create empathy and awareness. The book also raises difficult but important questions about our convenient collective amnesia.
232 pages, Paperback
Published April 22, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 20, 2021
After I Was Raped (The Untold life of Five Survivors)
"Forgetting is Difficult. Remembering is Worse".
A heart wrenching, painful, unbearable and horrifying account of five rape survivors that shows the mirror to the Society. It traces the experiences and stories of Nidhi, Meera, Ranjini, Pia and Smita after they were raped.
Nidhi , an 8 year old girl was raped by a man she called 'bhaiyya' when she was 4.
Meera, a 40 year old Dalit women from Dewas was raped by a 'priest'.
Ranjini , a 30 year old Dalit women was raped by a Gujjar 'Chieftain' in her village.
Pia, a "8 month old" baby was raped by her own 28 year old 'cousin'.
Smita, now 28 year old was raped twice by a person who was 'superior to her at workplace' and she was in relationship with.
The story of these five survivors here raises thousands of questions that are ignored by the society as well as the judicial system.
'The POSCO Act states that as far as possible , the trial should be completed within a period of one year from the date of taking cognizance of the offence'. But the reality is not what's mentioned in the books.
The trauma of being raped and then going through the horrific "Two Finger Test" (Now Banned in India) to confirm tightness of the vagina. A Medical Professionals judgemental words "Have you really been raped?" And "Why would he touch a Dalit like you?"
A 8 month old baby going through 3 correctional surgery and there's no one by her family's side.
" I look around me now, didi, and I see no one. Do you know that three months ago , when a this happened, there were people galore who promised to stand with us, help us and be there fo us, every second of the day? Now that I look around me, I see no one. I guess people forget."
We the people only remember the rape victim when it's gruesome and involves a body (dead).
How easily the world moves on after the outrage and forgets about the survivors who are left to fend for themselves with the society and the judiciary.
The trauma of being assaulted or raped in a relationship becomes a nightmare .Rape in relationship / Marital Rape in India is least reported by the victim and unfortunately India is one of the only 36 countries where marital rape is still not criminalized.
I wish for a day when there's not a single rape in the world !!! 🌍
A Recommended Read.
"Forgetting is Difficult. Remembering is Worse".
A heart wrenching, painful, unbearable and horrifying account of five rape survivors that shows the mirror to the Society. It traces the experiences and stories of Nidhi, Meera, Ranjini, Pia and Smita after they were raped.
Nidhi , an 8 year old girl was raped by a man she called 'bhaiyya' when she was 4.
Meera, a 40 year old Dalit women from Dewas was raped by a 'priest'.
Ranjini , a 30 year old Dalit women was raped by a Gujjar 'Chieftain' in her village.
Pia, a "8 month old" baby was raped by her own 28 year old 'cousin'.
Smita, now 28 year old was raped twice by a person who was 'superior to her at workplace' and she was in relationship with.
The story of these five survivors here raises thousands of questions that are ignored by the society as well as the judicial system.
'The POSCO Act states that as far as possible , the trial should be completed within a period of one year from the date of taking cognizance of the offence'. But the reality is not what's mentioned in the books.
The trauma of being raped and then going through the horrific "Two Finger Test" (Now Banned in India) to confirm tightness of the vagina. A Medical Professionals judgemental words "Have you really been raped?" And "Why would he touch a Dalit like you?"
A 8 month old baby going through 3 correctional surgery and there's no one by her family's side.
" I look around me now, didi, and I see no one. Do you know that three months ago , when a this happened, there were people galore who promised to stand with us, help us and be there fo us, every second of the day? Now that I look around me, I see no one. I guess people forget."
We the people only remember the rape victim when it's gruesome and involves a body (dead).
How easily the world moves on after the outrage and forgets about the survivors who are left to fend for themselves with the society and the judiciary.
The trauma of being assaulted or raped in a relationship becomes a nightmare .Rape in relationship / Marital Rape in India is least reported by the victim and unfortunately India is one of the only 36 countries where marital rape is still not criminalized.
I wish for a day when there's not a single rape in the world !!! 🌍
A Recommended Read.
July 22, 2021
TW: THIS BOOK IS NO FICTION!
How does a woman live every single day when every single second the scars on her body inflict the testimony that her soul no longer belongs to it? How does she garner the fiercest of the strength from within her numbed & mummed body to be able to hope for a better new day? Or may be only to hope to breath while self-deprecating her own existence- a life she merely lives dying every second!
And you know what? While you're still reading this, every 16 mins a woman is being raped somewhere in India!
Through this gut-wrenching documentation of the lives of 5 rape-survivors, Urmi Bhattacheryya makes her stand as a mirror reflecting the fault lines in the Indian criminal justice system and legislation as well as the unawareness of various laws against the sexual violence and abuse. As a dauntless and fierce journalist, Urmi has made her bold move making her stand for the rights of so labeled "brave rape-survivors" whose cases once having made it to the breaking news, now remain dormant in the ashes with the forever-awaiting court hearings.
It's so easy for the society to blame the victims for having welcomed their rapes upon themselves either through wrong relationships or clothes too loud. But how the 8 month old Pia & the 4 yr. old Nidhi are to be blamed for getting raped? How being Dalit women rewards Meera & Ranjini to get raped by the upper Hindu caste men? One of which even included a Hindu priest? And Smita who got raped twice for having trusted and loved her colleague?
Mind you, each of these never ever asked for it... none of it!! And still had to undergo the process of revictimization through countless hours of waiting and getting mocked while filing an FIR by the police, through the equally insensitive Medical Care process involving the now banned horrific "two-finger test" even after being raped just to test "if she is habituated to sex"? All the while the rapist easily gets the bail and celebrates his victory?
It was never about the candle marches we do or the big labels we proudly yet helplessly label the victims as "RAPE SURVIVORS". It's always about what happens after they survive and are forgotten.
It's always about the mental trauma the victims or the survivors go through. The mental and physical excruciating pain they are asked to normalize every single day of their lives. It about the various laws that lay ineffective and dormnant when it comes to real time implementation, even in case of the minors. It's also about the toxic patriarchy that has spread its roots to all the parts of judiciary and legislation including the police and medical professionals.
Let's not compartmentalise the victims by labelling them as strong/brave rape-survivors. They are no extra ordinary. As Urmi rightly stated, let's "Ask for more". Be vocal about the their rapes even after they are raped, irrespective of whether justice is serviced right; how do you serve justice to a victim who has already lost herself in the process? Be loud and ask for more until there is a positive change in the justice and legislation systems, in the mindsets of the patriarchial society, in the homes of every family. Till there is no more shame in uttering the unchanged real names of the victims in public.
How does a woman live every single day when every single second the scars on her body inflict the testimony that her soul no longer belongs to it? How does she garner the fiercest of the strength from within her numbed & mummed body to be able to hope for a better new day? Or may be only to hope to breath while self-deprecating her own existence- a life she merely lives dying every second!
And you know what? While you're still reading this, every 16 mins a woman is being raped somewhere in India!
Through this gut-wrenching documentation of the lives of 5 rape-survivors, Urmi Bhattacheryya makes her stand as a mirror reflecting the fault lines in the Indian criminal justice system and legislation as well as the unawareness of various laws against the sexual violence and abuse. As a dauntless and fierce journalist, Urmi has made her bold move making her stand for the rights of so labeled "brave rape-survivors" whose cases once having made it to the breaking news, now remain dormant in the ashes with the forever-awaiting court hearings.
It's so easy for the society to blame the victims for having welcomed their rapes upon themselves either through wrong relationships or clothes too loud. But how the 8 month old Pia & the 4 yr. old Nidhi are to be blamed for getting raped? How being Dalit women rewards Meera & Ranjini to get raped by the upper Hindu caste men? One of which even included a Hindu priest? And Smita who got raped twice for having trusted and loved her colleague?
Mind you, each of these never ever asked for it... none of it!! And still had to undergo the process of revictimization through countless hours of waiting and getting mocked while filing an FIR by the police, through the equally insensitive Medical Care process involving the now banned horrific "two-finger test" even after being raped just to test "if she is habituated to sex"? All the while the rapist easily gets the bail and celebrates his victory?
It was never about the candle marches we do or the big labels we proudly yet helplessly label the victims as "RAPE SURVIVORS". It's always about what happens after they survive and are forgotten.
It's always about the mental trauma the victims or the survivors go through. The mental and physical excruciating pain they are asked to normalize every single day of their lives. It about the various laws that lay ineffective and dormnant when it comes to real time implementation, even in case of the minors. It's also about the toxic patriarchy that has spread its roots to all the parts of judiciary and legislation including the police and medical professionals.
Let's not compartmentalise the victims by labelling them as strong/brave rape-survivors. They are no extra ordinary. As Urmi rightly stated, let's "Ask for more". Be vocal about the their rapes even after they are raped, irrespective of whether justice is serviced right; how do you serve justice to a victim who has already lost herself in the process? Be loud and ask for more until there is a positive change in the justice and legislation systems, in the mindsets of the patriarchial society, in the homes of every family. Till there is no more shame in uttering the unchanged real names of the victims in public.
August 11, 2021
After I was raped is comes in the category of non-fiction, I was read many emotional books but no was able to make my eyes bleed but why? Because this book consists the real accounts of rape victims. I wanted to read this book because wanted to know how a rape victim overcome the trauma of incident, after rape how their change drastically, how society see them and how their own family support the rape victims and do they get justice or not. I don’t have the courage and power to review the real life stories of rape survivors but I have to. From starting it was good and it is a very short read. I got to know many informative things about the law to protect women from rape, it shows how rape has many motives. This is the story of five rape victims, their stories are heartbreaking, and how some people escape from being punished using unlawful activities and how much time they wait to get justice. It is my first on a topic like this but overall I loved it. I loved this book.
June 30, 2024
An excellent book and a brilliant concept. As a society, we have a sudden outrage towards crimes of rape yet let them die down within a week. This book finally explored what we as a society must do - follow up on the victim/survivor, their lives post the rape, their families, etc. Kudos to the author for bringing to light what must be done.
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May 28, 2023Insightful insider account of the aftermath of rape on 5 women from different social and age groups. The story of Pia (The 8 month old baby girl) from Delhi will shake you to the core
December 27, 2021
Thank you Urmi for writing this book. I request everyone to read this book
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews