This Injustice in India Will Make Your Jaw Drop

All across the United States, people are talking about rape and sexual assault. Whether it's on a college campus or it's an attack on the street, people today are talking about sexual violence like they never have before. But this epidemic isn't just a domestic problem, it's an international one as well. And unfortunately, in many foreign nations, the fight to end rape and sexual assault isn't as prevalent as it is stateside.

The most recent accusation of jaw-dropping injustice comes from a rural, remote region of eastern India. A 14-year-old girl (yes, you read that right—14!) was raped by the order of her village's local council. The girl was taken into a nearby forest and raped, even after she begged on her hands and knees for council members to reconsider their decision. This "punishment" was in response to another sexual assault, at the hands of her brother. We'd like to know what happened to the brother as his punishment for HIS crime, but we have a feeling it's not as harsh as what his sister suffered.

This isn't the first time that an Indian local council has ordered the rape of a woman in their community. Earlier this year, a council in the west of India ordered the rape of a 20-year-old woman after she fell in love with a man from a different village. Sounds pretty Shakespearean (read: massively outdated) to us. Thankfully, those behind the young girl's attack aren't getting off free—three have already been arrested in connection to the crime.

I'm an Associate Editor at the Business of Fashion, where I edit and write stories about the fashion and beauty industries. Previously, I was the brand editor at Adweek, where I was the lead editor for Adweek's brand and retail coverage. Before my switch to business journalism, I was a writer/reporter at PEOPLE.com, where I wrote news posts, galleries and articles for PEOPLE magazine's website. My work has been published on TheAtlantic.com, ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, PEOPLE.com, GoodHousekeeping.com and in Every Day with Rachael Ray. It has been syndicated by Cosmopolitan.com, TIME.com, TravelandLeisure.com and GoodHousekeeping.com, among other publications. Previously, I've worked at VOGUE.com, ELLE.com, and MarieClaire.com.