Father of Indian rape victim wants her named

(China Daily/Agencies) Updated: 2013-01-07 07:42

Revealing identity to the world will 'give courage' to other survivors

The father of the Indian student whose brutal rape provoked a global outcry said he wanted her name made public so she could be an inspiration to victims of sexual assault, in comments that may pressure authorities to allow her identity to be revealed.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died on Dec 28 in a Singapore hospital, two weeks after she was gang-raped on a moving bus in New Delhi, igniting protests across India and neighboring countries, and prompting government promises for tougher punishments for offenders.

Father of Indian rape victim wants her named

Women hold placards as they march during a rally organized by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit (unseen) protesting for justice and security for women, in New Delhi in this Jan 2, 2013 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

"We want the world to know her real name," the woman's father told Britain's Sunday People newspaper.

"My daughter didn't do anything wrong. She died while protecting herself," he added. "I am proud of her. Revealing her name will give courage to other women who have survived these attacks. They will find strength from my daughter."

There have been growing calls in India to name the victim. Politician Shashi Tharoor last week questioned the merit of keeping her anonymous, and suggested naming new anti-rape law after her, a proposal her father supported.

Indian law generally prohibits the identification of victims of sex crimes. The law is intended to protect victims' privacy and keep them from the media glare in a country where the social stigma associated with rape can be devastating.

The father later told Reuters he had no objections to the media using his daughter's name, but he did not elaborate.

Accused due in court

Five men have been charged with gang rape and murder and were scheduled to appear in a New Delhi court on Monday to hear the charges.

Rajiv Mohan, a prosecutor in the case, said Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital gave the cause of death as "septicaemia from multi-organ failure due to multiple organ injuries".

Mohan said the prosecution had matched DNA from her blood to blood found on the clothes of the accused, and on hers, which one of the men had allegedly tried to burn to destroy evidence.

"The blood stain appearing on the burnt cloth has been tallied with the blood sample of the victim," Mohan told reporters on Saturday.

The British paper named the father and his daughter, saying that the father had given permission, but added that it would not publish a photo of her at the family's request.

Mohan told Reuters the police and prosecution still had no intention of revealing her identity. The spokesman for Delhi police could not immediately be reached for comment.

"Even if family members have given their permission to disclose the victim's identity for a greater cause, we can't disclose her identity," Mohan said, citing section 228a of the Indian penal code.

Legal experts consulted by Reuters said a situation could arise in which Indian media, wary of legal cases, choose not to name her while foreign publications do.