Supreme Court: Can't name or shame rape victims

SC was dealing with the issue of disclosure of identity of rape victims

Even the dead have dignity. They cannot be "named or shamed." This was the observation of the Supreme Court yesterday as it dealt with the issue of disclosure of identity of rape victims, including the eight-year-old girl who was raped and brutally murdered recently Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.

It said that even in cases where the rape victims were alive and were either minors or of unsound mind, their identities should not be revealed as they have the right to privacy and they cannot live under such a "stigma" throughout their life.

"Think of the dignity of dead also. It (media reporting) can be done without naming or shaming them. The dead also have dignity," a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said while hearing the matter in which senior lawyer Indira Jaising raked up the issue of section 228-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with disclosure of identity of victims of sexual offences. The bench said it would examine the issue related to the section.