Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar reacted to a deeply disturbing case of rape involving a six-year-old girl. On January 18, the girl was sexually assaulted by three boys aged 10, 13 and 14 in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura area, police confirmed on Tuesday.
According to officials, two of the accused minors have been taken into custody, while the third boy and his family are currently absconding. Authorities have launched a search operation to trace them, and the case remains under investigation.
Reacting to the news, Bhumi shared her anguish on Instagram. She re-shared a news report related to the case and questioned the repeated failures of society and systems in preventing crimes against children. Expressing her shock, she wrote that it was alarming how perpetrators believe they can escape accountability for sexual violence, calling it a sign of a moral and institutional collapse.
"What is going on. We clearly are failing cause we haven't till now been unable to instill fear into these monsters who think the can get away with sexual violence. Breaks my heart to see under age boys go through with something so heinous. Imagine the environments they are growing up in," the actress wrote.
Bhumi also drew attention to the troubling fact that the accused are themselves minors. She said it was heartbreaking to see such young boys allegedly involved in a crime of this nature.
"We are punishing the voiceless in our country, and have sensationalised dogs being a threat! What about the fact, that a 6-year-old isn't safe on our streets and actually no child is, cause in this case the perpetrators are also the victims. Wake up India," she added.
