Women's panel seeks blanket ban on rape MMS circulation

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has recommended a blanket ban on the circulation of MMSes related to rape or gang-rape cases.

Taking suo-moto cognizance of recent media reports about the rape of a 32-year-old woman in Haryana by three people, who also made a video clip of the incident and circulated it, the NCW has not only constituted an enquiry committee into the incident but has also made certain  recommendations to be followed by authorities concerned, a spokesman of the state government said here Monday.

He said NCW has recommended a full ban on sharing information by media or otherwise of any MMS made of any rape or gang-rape.

"The MMS once made is generally circulated within the district and sometimes in the state. Generally, a person living in a far-off district or state would not come to know of an MMS being made unless it is reported in media.

"Hence, by putting a blanket ban on sharing the information of MMS and sometimes reporting the incident while referring to the MMS, creates inquisitiveness and people tend to Google the incident out of curiosity. Thus, by banning the sharing of information of MMS, the victim will at least be saved from further humiliation," said the spokesman, quoting the NCW recommendation. 

The commission said reference to a rape case as being an "MMS incident" (MMS kaand) continuously deprives the woman of her dignity as she is subjected to commoditisation most of the time, he added.

The NCW also recommended speedy trial and strict punishment in rape cases and ample media coverage of such trials.

Haryana saw 686 rape and gang-rape cases in 2012 and 733 rape cases in 2011.