New details on the deadly gang rape of the 23-year-old student in New Delhi have emerged. A male friend, who witnessed the incident has opened up, describing their treatment as horrific and callous.
The 28-year-old man, who asked CNN not to identify him, said he and the woman boarded a private bus heading to a New Delhi suburb, after going to a movie theater on December 16th.
In a telephone interview with Agence France-Presse, the man said the driver made dirty remarks and five other men taunted the couple and locked the doors. He explained:
“They hit me with a small stick and dragged my friend to a seat near the driver’s cabin. Then, the driver and the other men raped my friend and hit her in the worst possible ways in the most private parts of her body… The cruelty I saw should not be seen ever. I tried to fight against the men but later I begged them again and again to leave her.”
The man also told Reuters, their attackers drove them throughout the city for nearly two hours before dropping them below an overpass–saying he was unable to stand and had no clothes.
“Three-wheeler taxis would slow down, take a look at us and move on,” he said. “So would cars and motorcycles. We got no help for nearly 20 or 25 minutes… [When three police vehicles finally did show up], they couldn’t decide among themselves which police precinct has jurisdiction.”
Meanwhile, he said his friend was bleeding profusely, according to CNN. “We need change in every area,” he said.
Since the woman’s death on December 29th, debate has resurfaced over how India handles sexual assaults and the treatment of women.
