Curious case of a Rapist

Rape is undoubtedly one of the most heinous crimes against woman in any country. Strict laws exist in all countries to act as a deterrent for any perpetrator, though there are incidents of rape that keep getting reported quite regularly. I would like to argue that the convicted rapist is only a scapegoat in such incidents, the real culprit is the society. The society in order to prove itself innocent ensures that either the charges are convicted or are proved baseless. All this is done with due diligence to prove how just and prompt the society is, yet it can't get rid itself of the guilt each time such an act happens.

The male of any species is entrusted with a basic instinct to mate and pro-create, the female of any species possess methods of attracting the right male for the purpose of mating so that the species could survive and sustain. In animals the act is rather mechanical and also indiscrete and promiscuous, some of the tribals around the world are also known for that. The so called civilised society, in a way, has been about, effort to curb and rein in the promiscuity involved in the act of pro-creation and give it a more decent form. While one must say that the promiscuity has been curbed or camouflaged to a large extent, however not much has been done to modify the basic instincts. What also doesn't help is the civilised society's obsession with the female form.

It is rather surprising element of a civilised society, while acts of sexual crime are condemned yet the obsession with the female form goes on unabated. One look at our literature, print media, audio-visual media, entertainment industry will show how strongly are we obsessed with it. Both classical and contemporary literature have played a strong role in fueling and sustaining this obsession, interesting description and newer ways of describing the female form has been appreciated. While the artistic expression, undoubtedly, has to be appreciated yet their indirect contribution to sustaining the obsession with female form of the society as a whole cannot be ignored. Same could be said about the other forms of media who have constantly fueled it and do so even to the current day.

The obsession of the male towards the subject could be said to be conscious lecherousness and unconscious attempt to find appropriate partner, the female obsession towards the matter is out of insecurity, inadequacy or opportunity. The extent to which the female form is used repeatedly and with uncurbed exaggeration that it has a constant presence in the unconscious of everyone of the members of the civilised society. So, on one hand the male basic instinct has not changed and on the other hand the obsession with the female form continues unabated, both of this put together form a potent combination and a festering ground for heinous crime and oppression. No wonder from time to time we see the unwanted "Dress Codes" being specified for female students, professionals or citizens and that is considered as one of the reasons for the crime.

I feel instigated to say that civilised society in the attempt to curb promiscuity has let loose a demon that it didn't know existed. So much so that I would not hesitate to state that all of the males of a civilised society is a potential rapist, though the one that actually trips the rope is the convict and if the charges are proved the whole society doesn't spare in making the person feel unwanted and a bane to the human life. Yet the trap was already set and the act played out intelligently to hide the real motive.

Unless society collectively learns to get rid of this obsession of the female form and the male basic instinct to pro-create could be transformed, I would say that we haven't yet seen the end of the heinous crimes against woman no matter how much modern and technologically advanced world we might consider ourselves to be. I understand that Individuals make the society but after the society is formed the society now starts defining the individual. So change has to come from individuals and slowly propagate to cover the whole society.