Teen burnt alive for reporting sex attack

The shocking case of a teenager burnt alive after accusing her headmaster of sexual assault has sparked protests in Bangladesh.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 18, was tricked into venturing on to a rooftop at her madrassa – or school – where at least four people doused her in kerosene and set her alight, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Rafi was attacked because she had refused to back down and withdraw her allegations. As she lay dying in hospital, with burns covering 80 per cent of her body, she recorded a defiant message on her brother’s phone. ‘‘The teacher touched me. I will fight this crime until my last breath,’’ she said.

‘‘The horrifying murder of a brave woman who sought justice shows how badly the government has failed victims of sexual assault,’’ HRW South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly said. ‘‘Nusrat Jahan Rafi’s death highlights the need for the Bangladesh government to take survivors of sexual assault seriously and ensure that they can safely seek a legal remedy and be protected from retaliation.’’

The police handling of the case has compounded public anger. A video of Rafi, from Feni, 160 kilometres south of Dhaka, filing her complaint reportedly shows a police officer telling her that the incident was ‘‘not a big deal’’. According to the BBC, she appears distressed in the video and tries to cover her face with her hands.

The video was then leaked to local media, leading to death threats

‘‘The teacher touched me. I will fight this crime until my last breath.’’ Nusrat Jahan Rafi, dying words

against Rafi. Pressure on her to withdraw the complaint worsened after the headmaster was arrested.

On April 6, she went to her school to sit exams. She was lured to the roof and surrounded by four people wearing burkas, demanding that she renounce her accusations. She refused and they set her on fire, trying to make it look like suicide. She was still alive when she was found but died four days later.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed sorrow and ordered law enforcement agencies to find the perpetrators. So far, 15 people have reportedly been arrested, seven allegedly involved in the murder, and one has confessed. The headmaster remains in custody and the police officer who filmed Rafi has been transferred to another department. However, human rights groups say the case highlights a wider problem of the ongoing vulnerability of women who suffer sexual harassment in deeply conservative Bangladesh, and are targeted when they brave social stigmas speak out.

‘‘Nusrat Jahan Rafi’s cruel death is a sobering reminder of the pervasive risk of sexual violence that is faced by Bangladeshi women and girls,’’ Ganguly said.