Twin murders of rape victims spark calls for witness protection

The murders of two alleged rape victims in separate incidents in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend have sparked demands by women's rights activists for the government to put in place a formal witness protection programme.

On Sunday, an 18-year-old woman, who was due to testify in court in October against a man who allegedly raped her in 2011, was shot dead by four assailants on motorbikes in Mau district.

Both victims' families claim the women were being harassed and pressured to withdraw their complaints by the accused, who were out of custody on bail. Police said they were investigating the murders.

"There must be a formalised protection system in place for victims and witnesses in cases where they are under threat and facing intimidation or worse," said Karuna Nundy, a supreme court lawyer and women's rights activist.

"We also need more and better trained judges and police to deal with these crimes effectively."

Rape victims in India endure an archaic, poorly funded, under-resourced and insensitive criminal justice system, say campaigners.

One of the biggest problems is the length of the trials - sometimes courts can take five to 10 years to reach a judgment.

Despite the introduction of fast-track courts for crimes against women, India still has far too few courts, judges and prosecutors for its 1.2 billion people.

Compared to the United States, India has a fifth of the number of judges per capita, and there is a backlog of millions of cases.

Lawyers say victims and their witnesses are sometimes intimidated during lengthy trials by the accused who are, in some cases, granted bail by the court.

Some victims can be pressured into accepting illegal out-of-court settlements such as a small cash payment. In more extreme instances, the victim's family is pressured into marrying their daughter to the accused.

Victims face the prospect of spending large amounts of time and money in order to attend multiple court hearings and may become disillusioned with the process.

As a result, cases are often dropped, and the accused acquitted before all the evidence is heard.