More than 100 differently-abled women and girls have raised allegations of sexual harassment in West Bengal alone since 2012, a city-based NGO working for the rights of the disabled said.
Thirty five cases of sexual assault on differently-abled girls and women were reported in media from January 2017 to November 2018. “These compilations are based on cases of sexual assault, which are reported in media, both print and electronic. In the month of November 2018, we came across four cases that were reported in different sections of media,” Shampa Sengupta, director, Sruti Rights Disability Centre, told The Hindu .
On Monday, hundreds of differently-abled persons held a rally in the city on account of International Day for Disabled Persons and met the Disability Commissioner.
Ms. Sengupta said that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, mandates stricter punishment for harassing persons with disabilities. Under the new laws, any assault on a disabled girl or woman is considered as “aggravated assault”, which amounts to more punishment, she added.
