Members of the Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Technologies and Health (CORTH) and the University of Sussex strongly condemn the shocking rape and murder of the young veterinary doctor in Hyderabad, India on 27 November 2019. Despite serious criminal law reform, the incidence of violent rapes is not decreasing. There needs to be urgent recognition that rape, and sexual assault are a violation of women’s rights to bodily integrity, autonomy and dignity. These are fundamental rights without which women’s equality and freedom cannot be guaranteed. The four men accused of the rape and murder were shot dead by the police on 6 December 2019 following the incident. These extra-judicial killings do not address the underlying issue of men’s unquestioned entitlement over women’s bodies. We urge the Indian government to take immediate and urgent steps to guarantee women's rights to gender equality, bodily integrity, freedom, dignity and respect.

Professor Maya Unnithan (Director CORTH), Jayna Kothari (Senior advocate practicing in the Supreme Court of India, Centre for Law and Policy Research, Bangalore), Dr. Maria Moscati (Co-director CORTH, Senior Lecturer in Law, Sussex), Dr. Hayley MacGregor (Co-director CORTH, Senior fellow, IDS Sussex), Dr. Chi Eziefula (Co-director CORTH, Senior lecturer and NHS Consultant in Infectious Disease, Brighton and Sussex Medical School), Anna Christina Maukner (International Development, School of Global Studies, Sussex), Dr Mary Frances Lukera (Law school, University of Sussex) on behalf of CORTH, University of Sussex, Professor Vinita Damodaran (Director, Centre for World Environmental History, University of Sussex), Professor Lyla Mehta (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex), Professor Priya Deshingkar (School of Global Studies, University of Sussex), Professor James Fairhead (Anthropology), Professor Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner, Professor Magnus Marsden (Director, Centre for Asian Studies), Professor Filipo Osella, Professor Buzz Harrison (Head of School of Global Studies) , Professor Jane Cowan, Dr Wendy Ashall, Dr Lyndsay Maclean Hilker, Dr Dinah Rajak, Dr Rebecca Prentice, Dr Anke Schwittay, Dr Ben Hunter, Professor Raminder Kaur, Dr Beth Mills.

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