“Where is the state?” Kuki women’s group slams justice system over rape survivor’s death in Manipur

The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), Kangpokpi district, has condemned what it calls a grave miscarriage of justice in the case of a young Kuki woman who died after surviving brutal sexual violence for more than two years without redress from the system meant to protect her.

KWOHR in a press statement described the victim’s ordeal as “heartbreaking and soul-rending,” underscoring that she was just 18 years old when the violence was inflicted upon her—an age that should have marked the beginning of a life of dignity, opportunity, and state protection. Instead, the organisation said, her youth was consumed by trauma, neglect, and silence.

Rejecting narratives that frame rape through the lens of honour, morality, or momentary rage, KWOHR asserted that sexual violence is fundamentally an abuse of power. “Rape is not about sex. It is not about a woman’s honour. It is about power, brutality, and the systematic dehumanisation of women,” the statement said, calling for a shift in how society and institutions confront crimes of sexual violence.

The organisation paid tribute to the victim's resilience, noting that she endured severe physical, mental, and emotional suffering for over two years before her death on January 10, 2026. Her prolonged survival, KWOHR said, reflected not the compassion of the system, but her own extraordinary strength in the face of abandonment.

Beyond condemning the perpetrators, KWOHR broadened the scope of accountability to include what it described as a profound social and institutional betrayal. It criticised those who allegedly facilitated her handover to her assailants and sharply questioned the failure of the justice delivery mechanism, which allowed her case to remain unresolved until her death.

“Where is the State? Where are the courts? Where is the rule of law?” the statement asked, accusing institutions of treating a young woman’s life as expendable—“tossed aside like a rusted coin.”

Warning that such failures deepen public anger and despair, KWOHR urged that collective outrage be channelled into sustained resistance against violence and impunity. The organisation said that the victim’s life must not fade into another statistic but serve as a rallying point in the struggle to ensure safety, justice, and dignity for every woman.

KWOHR concluded by reaffirming a principle it said must guide both society and the state: “Every life counts. Even in the face of devastation, cruelty, and inhumanity, every life counts.”