I Think: Write from a victim’s perspective. Tell us about her

Preethi Rajan, school student, Bangalore

Photo courtesy: Preethi Rajan

I don’t read newspapers. Sometimes my dad reads the news out to me, but I usually get my news from social media.

But there are some stories about sexual violence that I seek out to read because I want to know how the victim is doing. But none of the stories talk about that really.

People talk about how it’s the way the victim dresses that causes rape. But a two-month old baby, how is it the way she was dressed?

If I were writing about an incident, I would write it from the victim’s perspective. I want people to know the pain and helplessness she felt. I want to know how she’s trying to stabilise her life after the incident.

I don’t want to know the details about how she was raped. I want to know about her.