Lowest-class Indian teenage sisters found dead hanging from a tree

Victim's Father "Wants Strong Punishment"
Lowest Rank Dalit Origin, Frequently Exposed to Discrimination and Violence

Two girls from the Dalit community, the lowest caste in India, were found raped and murdered. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] An incident occurred in India where two teenage sisters were raped and murdered. The sisters belonged to the Dalit (untouchable) caste, the lowest in the Indian caste system. Similar incidents involving Dalit girls being raped also occurred last year and in 2020.

According to foreign media including VOA on the 16th (local time), two girls living in Uttar Pradesh in northern India were recently found hanging dead from a tree near their home. The sisters were 15 and 17 years old, respectively.

Local police launched an investigation following the family’s claim that the victims were kidnapped and raped. Six men living nearby were arrested on charges of rape and murder. Police believe that the suspects raped and killed the victims and then hung them from the tree to disguise the deaths as suicides. An autopsy is currently underway to clarify the exact cause of death.

The father of the victims expressed to local media his desire for severe punishment for the perpetrators. He said, "They hanged my daughters," and appealed, "We want all six of them to be hanged as well."

The two sisters were known to belong to the Dalit caste, the lowest tier in the Indian caste system. Dalits are exposed to severe discrimination and violence in daily life, and incidents such as sexual assault continue to occur. In August last year, a 9-year-old girl living in Delhi was gang-raped and murdered after going to a crematorium near her home to fetch water. In 2020, a 19-year-old girl living in Uttar Pradesh was found gang-raped and murdered. Both girls were from the Dalit caste.

VOA cited data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), reporting that rape cases in India increased by 19% compared to 2020. Notably, reported rape cases involving Dalits increased by 45% between 2015 and 2020.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.