The Scarlett Keeling case has received a great deal of attention. In Rajya Sabha, there was a sharp exchange of views on the case. A view expressed in Parliament that it was the responsibility of parents to take care of the security of their children finds resonance among some people. Indeed, the Goa government and its spokespersons have projected the case as a tragedy caused by bad parenting. They have said that if the mother had been more responsible, if the victim had been a "good girl", then...

Whatever opinions one might hold on the issue of parenting, they are of little relevance to the case, except as a cover for a ghastly crime of rape and murder committed on a young woman. Fiona Mackeown may be a very bad mother, but it was her single-minded determination and courage to uncover the truth behind her daughter's death that forced a second post-mortem and revealed the ugly face of sexual violence behind Scarlett's death. The police had connived with the criminals to cover up the crime and pass it off as an accident.

While the Goa government has done well to suspend the officials concerned, its nasty threats to Fiona hardly strengthen its credibility. Surely its own interests would be better served by referring the case to the CBI. If it refuses to do so then it should be prepared for the outrage that is bound to follow if it tries to prevent the mother of a victim from entering the state to follow the road for justice for her daughter. While the case could have occurred anywhere, it is unfortunate that it occurred in Goa, better known as one of the more women-friendly states in the country. Goa with a population larger than that of Chandigarh, reported less than half of the number of crimes against women than the Union territory reported three years in a row.

Although we know the details of the lives of Scarlett and her family ferreted out by an insatiable media, it is striking that there is little known about the antecedents of the criminals. Who are they, what was their parenting? Day after day in rural India young girls from poor families run the risk of inviting unwanted attention from sons of the rural elite, often becoming the victims of rape and murder. In all such cases the issue of parenting disappears in the culture of "boys will be boys". What about the issue of parenting when sons of the rich and famous throw their weight around, get involved in drunken brawls and abuse and sexually harass women? Do we dare to put their parents out on display and ask them deeply invasive questions as to what went wrong with them as parents.

Parenting is important and parental negligence can have disastrous consequences. It is normal for parents to dream that their children do well. But the bottom line in a case of rape and murder of a young woman is that the victim and her family must get justice. The issue of parenting in this case is a substitute for the crude ignorance and bigoted opinions women face when they complain of sexual harassment. This is not necessarily from the cop on the street but often from those holding high constitutional office.

For a victim of sexual harassment the first battle is to go public with a complaint. It takes enormous courage to do so. Character assassination of the victim is often the norm used by the defence. Recently, the chief justice of a southern state reportedly made the horrifying comment that "nowadays women wear such kind of dresses even in temples and churches that when we go to places of worship, instead of meditating on God, we end up meditating on the person in front of us". Can such a person be expected to do justice to a woman victim appearing before him? Would it not be appropriate for women in the state to demand that he recuse himself from every case concerning sexual violence against women?

Or take this statement from the head of a state human rights commission. He reportedly said about the sexual harassment case on New Year's eve in Mumbai: "Yes men are bad. But who asked them (women) to venture out at night... Women should not venture out at night and when they do there is no point in complaining that men touched them and hit them". If this is not an invitation for sexual harassment, then what is? Yet these gentlemen continue to occupy high offices. We are hypocritical in the extreme about our attitudes towards women. The rot often begins at the top. There should be a gender-sensitive index used against such persons who can influence the processes of justice whether in the courts, the administrative machinery, the police force or our legislatures.

Crimes against women, and specifically crimes against minors, are increasing. In the capital, two-thirds of rape victims are minors, yet the conviction rates are extremely low.

Negative attitudes towards the victim also tend to influence the processes of justice. We need to support the victim and, in the cases of rape and murder, her family. Scarlett's rapist and killers must be caught and punished.

The role of drug-pushing networks should be investigated. It would be a travesty of justice if judgments on social behaviour impacted on the follow-up of the case.

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