Weather
Son will not visit woman raped by Hindu priest (From Harrow Times)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news & views by texting Harrow Times to 80360, or email us
Son will not visit woman raped by Hindu priest
4:24pm Wednesday 17th December 2008
THE son of a woman who was raped by a Hindu priest said he does not know who to blame for the crime.
Shashikant Vyas, 61, has admitted forcing a 41-year-old woman, who recently tried to kill herself, to have sex with him against her will and was jailed for four-and-a-half years today.
But her son told Harrow Crown Court he does not plan to visit his mother, who is still in hospital after the suicide attempt, and is not sure who to blame for what happened.
Cross examining her son, Judge Alan Greenwood said: “He's admitted raping her but you don't know who to blame. Why?”
The son replied: “Because I don't believe he is capable of it.”
He said visiting his mother in hospital would have made things worse, and claimed she told him not to see his sister.
The attack left the 41-year-old with injuries to her arms and breasts, as well as psychologically traumatising her.
She has made at least four suicide attempts and the most recent, on Sunday, left her with burns to her head, arms and chest.
Sentencing Vyas, Judge Alan Greenwood said: “I'm sure you understand rape is a very serious offence.
“Women must be given protection by courts from an offence which has serious consequences for them – physical, emotional, psychological and social consequences.”
He added: “In evidence which made me profoundly sad her own son told me this morning that even now, when she is in intensive care in hospital, he has no intention of visiting her.
“I'm not for one moment saying that all of this is all your responsibility but the consequences of her rape are your responsibility.”
The court heard how the victim has said she did want a relationship with Vyas, but Judge Greenwood said he did not believe she wanted it to be a sexual relationship outside marriage.
Vyas stripped off his victim's clothes and pinned her down during the assault, which took place in February.
She says friends blame her for bringing about the prosecution.
Vyas came to Britain from India four years ago.
Judge Greenwood did not recommend him for deportation but said government legislation may mean he is automatically sent back to India due to the seriousness of his crime.
He was made to sign the sex offender's register for life.
More News stories
- Trading Standards facing further cuts
- Police accused of 'targetting' black people with searches
- Harrow man charged with Neasden stabbings
- Whistleblower promoted after bonus scandal
- Doctor faces probe into slimming pills
- Four bailed over Iraq election 'disorder'
- Councillor 'delighted' to get top job
- Take it easy for Sport Relief
- Police open up Aladdin's Cave of stolen goods
- Young entrepreneurs test their sales skills at shopping centre
Your Say YourHarrow
Mistress of Spices, Pinner says...
12:32pm Thu 18 Dec 08
I just want to add that someone should check the sons scalp for the number 666,because without doubt he is the devils child !!!
dex, derby says...
1:59pm Thu 18 Dec 08
palmtree, USA says...
2:48pm Thu 18 Dec 08
The victim here deserves enormous credit for her courage. Are we not safer when a convicted rapist is identified and imprisoned, even if for a pitiful four years?
Remove the blinders about clergy by consulting thousands of secret documents about their sexual abuse that have been released by court order in the US. The link is www.BishopAccountabi
lity.org and focuses on Roman Catholic bishops, who have paid almost $2 billion in recent years in settlements. It was the idea that a priest would never abuse that allowed clergy to get away with a massive crime wave over half a century.
The website has a daily abuse tracker of articles from all over the world, including a case of murder in India now being investigated in Kerala. The ecumenical nature of the articles should disabuse anyone of the notion that priests, ministers or religious leaders of any kind are exempt from sexual crimes.
The tracker link is http://www.bishop-ac
countability.org/Abu
seTracker/. Search “India” and get 450 articles. I’ve seen articles from Ireland, Mexico, Philippines, Greece, Malta, Italy, though the majority is from the US. It is the courage of survivors to bring charges that has brought the secrets to light.
Wake up to the reality and support those suffering from attack not only by the rapist, but by the communities that should be their support.
palmtree, USA says...
2:50pm Thu 18 Dec 08
The victim here deserves enormous credit for her courage. Are we not safer when a convicted rapist is identified and imprisoned, even if for a pitiful four years?
Remove the blinders about clergy by consulting thousands of secret documents about their sexual abuse that have been released by court order in the US. The link is www.BishopAccountabi
lity.org and focuses on Roman Catholic bishops, who have paid almost $2 billion in recent years in settlements. It was the idea that a priest would never abuse that allowed clergy to get away with a massive crime wave over half a century.
The website has a daily abuse tracker of articles from all over the world, including a case of murder in India now being investigated in Kerala. The ecumenical nature of the articles should disabuse anyone of the notion that priests, ministers or religious leaders of any kind are exempt from sexual crimes.
The tracker link is http://www.bishop-ac
countability.org/Abu
seTracker/. Search “India” and get 450 articles. I’ve seen articles from Ireland, Mexico, Philippines, Greece, Malta, Italy, though the majority is from the US. It is the courage of survivors to bring charges that has brought the secrets to light.
Wake up to the reality and support those suffering from attack not only by the rapist, but by the communities that should be their support.
(confusion entering security word; hope there is no duplication)
palmtree, USA says...
1:29am Fri 19 Dec 08
Go to snapnetwork.org for tremendous resources available online. Maybe this group can become active in Europe as well.
jackdaw, Harrow says...
5:51pm Fri 19 Dec 08
He has no right to call himself her son and I think he should be in the dock too for condoning his mother's rape.
I think the son should be shunned by his community for his dreadful attitude towards women.
I hope all women in Harrow do not encounter this bigotted immature man.
Muslim, says...
2:08pm Mon 22 Dec 08
palmtree wrote:Islam does not have a clergy, and any human who does an illegal sexual act should be punished for it.
I am more than saddened at the son's response to the proven rape of his mother. I am utterly disgusted.
The myth that clergy, whether Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim, or any other denomination, are somehow exempt from sexual assault is an exceedingly dangerous one. Have we not had enough evidence in the last few years that this is so?
Clergy depend on the deference of people, who choose to be blinded by holier than thou poses. Catholic bishops have admitted that even the most effective priests can be master manipulators.
Perpetrators bask in the notion that no one will believe a victim. My heart goes out to the victim, whose pain is severe. That her son, HER SON, does not realize that NO ONE asks to be raped is tragic and just plain evil.
That the Indian community does not unite in support of her is also beyond understanding.
May she at least know that someone, and hopefully others here, do believe she was cruelly assaulted with no justification, and that this perpetrator is guilty, no matter his reputation.
God help her find some peace.
There is no position for injustice.
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Quran 49:13)
The son should support the mother who is going through trauma, and he should support her through her hardship. Since there is a saying by Prophet Muhammad "Paradise lies under the feet of the mother."
I hope she recovers soon, that her son realises that she is truthful, and the rapist is punished so others similar to him don't do the same crime again.
Richard_at_Harrow, Harrow says...
2:13pm Tue 23 Dec 08
This is for all you religious freaks:
Dr. Schambaugh, of the University of Oklahoma School of Chemical Engineering, Final Exam question for May of 1997. Dr. Schambaugh is known for asking questions such as, "why do airplanes fly?" on his final exams. His one and only final exam question in May 1997 for his Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer II class was: "Is hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with proof."
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:
"First, We postulate that if souls exist, then they must have some mass. If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass. So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave.
Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for souls entering hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, then you will go to hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and souls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.
Now, we look at the rate of change in volume in hell. Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant. Two options exist:
1. If hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.
2. If hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.
So which is it? If we accept the quote given to me by Theresa Manyan during Freshman year, "that it will be a cold night in hell before I sleep with you" and take into account the fact that I still have NOT succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then Option 2 cannot be true...Thus, hell is exothermic."
The student, Tim Graham, got the only A.
jackdaw, Harrow says...
5:04pm Tue 23 Dec 08
What Hindu text is this lady's son following that says it is correct to condone the rape of mothers?
I am sure the majority of Hindus do not think like this. Can someone from the Hindu community explain their beliefs about rape.
Your sayYour Harrow
Add your comment
Register for a FREE Harrow Times account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.
Please register now or sign in below to continue.
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
palmtree, USA says...
11:38pm Wed 17 Dec 08
The myth that clergy, whether Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim, or any other denomination, are somehow exempt from sexual assault is an exceedingly dangerous one. Have we not had enough evidence in the last few years that this is so?
Clergy depend on the deference of people, who choose to be blinded by holier than thou poses. Catholic bishops have admitted that even the most effective priests can be master manipulators.
Perpetrators bask in the notion that no one will believe a victim. My heart goes out to the victim, whose pain is severe. That her son, HER SON, does not realize that NO ONE asks to be raped is tragic and just plain evil.
That the Indian community does not unite in support of her is also beyond understanding.
May she at least know that someone, and hopefully others here, do believe she was cruelly assaulted with no justification, and that this perpetrator is guilty, no matter his reputation.
God help her find some peace.