<p class="bodytext">Three cases of alleged sexual abuse by people in positions of authority, in different parts of the country, have become public in the last few days. In Kerala, a Congress MLA – Rahul Mamkootathil – has been arrested on charges of rape and violent behaviour raised by a woman. Other women had recently levelled similar allegations against him. The legislator is alleged to have taken advantage of his position to exploit the women. He has been expelled from the party. Rahul Mamkootathil may not be representative of the political community, but the fact that the party did not initiate action against him in the beginning raises questions about its commitment to moral conduct in public life.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The other two cases involve sexual assaults on young sportswomen by their coaches. A hockey coach was arrested in Haryana’s Rewari for allegedly raping and impregnating a Class 12 student. A teenaged national-level shooter has accused her coach of sexually assaulting her during the recent national championship in Faridabad. Both men have been arrested under provisions of the POCSO Act as well as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; they have been suspended and removed from their duties. These cases have a striking common thread – influential positions the offenders held at the time of the crimes. In the eventual action against the accused, there are signs of a welcome shift. But these suspensions and arrests also signify an uneven delivery of justice. In 2023, when allegations of sexual harassment were raised by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was at the time the president of the Wrestling Federation of India and an MP, the accused was shielded by the ruling establishment.</p>.Kerala Assembly Speaker seeks legal opinion on disqualification of MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.<p class="bodytext">From Unnao to Kerala, Haryana, and Delhi, the script of abuse is the same. Men in authority turn predators and target those who are under their care, and even strangers, as in the case of the Kerala MLA. The victims are offered personal or professional rewards, coerced or intimidated. Politics and sports are public domains that demand high standards of moral conduct and responsible behaviour from the leaders and administrators. It is likely that most cases of misconduct do not become public. A 2023 UNESCO report found that one-third of India’s female athletes faced sexual abuse, harassment or inappropriate behaviour by male coaches. While the action taken in some of these cases signals hope, real change will emerge only when power is no longer immunity, and punishment is a certainty.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Three cases of alleged sexual abuse by people in positions of authority, in different parts of the country, have become public in the last few days. In Kerala, a Congress MLA – Rahul Mamkootathil – has been arrested on charges of rape and violent behaviour raised by a woman. Other women had recently levelled similar allegations against him. The legislator is alleged to have taken advantage of his position to exploit the women. He has been expelled from the party. Rahul Mamkootathil may not be representative of the political community, but the fact that the party did not initiate action against him in the beginning raises questions about its commitment to moral conduct in public life.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The other two cases involve sexual assaults on young sportswomen by their coaches. A hockey coach was arrested in Haryana’s Rewari for allegedly raping and impregnating a Class 12 student. A teenaged national-level shooter has accused her coach of sexually assaulting her during the recent national championship in Faridabad. Both men have been arrested under provisions of the POCSO Act as well as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; they have been suspended and removed from their duties. These cases have a striking common thread – influential positions the offenders held at the time of the crimes. In the eventual action against the accused, there are signs of a welcome shift. But these suspensions and arrests also signify an uneven delivery of justice. In 2023, when allegations of sexual harassment were raised by women wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was at the time the president of the Wrestling Federation of India and an MP, the accused was shielded by the ruling establishment.</p>.Kerala Assembly Speaker seeks legal opinion on disqualification of MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.<p class="bodytext">From Unnao to Kerala, Haryana, and Delhi, the script of abuse is the same. Men in authority turn predators and target those who are under their care, and even strangers, as in the case of the Kerala MLA. The victims are offered personal or professional rewards, coerced or intimidated. Politics and sports are public domains that demand high standards of moral conduct and responsible behaviour from the leaders and administrators. It is likely that most cases of misconduct do not become public. A 2023 UNESCO report found that one-third of India’s female athletes faced sexual abuse, harassment or inappropriate behaviour by male coaches. While the action taken in some of these cases signals hope, real change will emerge only when power is no longer immunity, and punishment is a certainty.</p>
