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| India activists performing street play abducted and raped | India activists performing street play abducted and raped |
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| Five Indian anti-trafficking activists performing a street play were gang raped at gunpoint in the eastern state of Jharkhand, police have confirmed. | Five Indian anti-trafficking activists performing a street play were gang raped at gunpoint in the eastern state of Jharkhand, police have confirmed. |
| The women were forced into cars and raped in a "secluded area", police told BBC Hindi. | The women were forced into cars and raped in a "secluded area", police told BBC Hindi. |
| Police say they are investigating the incident but have not made any arrests. | Police say they are investigating the incident but have not made any arrests. |
| The women were working with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to raise awareness about human trafficking in the remote Khunti district. | |
| "After performing, they headed towards a local mission school. Around the same time, some armed people reached the school. They abducted five girls from their team and took them to a jungle and raped them," senior police official AV Homkar told BBC Hindi's Niraj Sinha. | "After performing, they headed towards a local mission school. Around the same time, some armed people reached the school. They abducted five girls from their team and took them to a jungle and raped them," senior police official AV Homkar told BBC Hindi's Niraj Sinha. |
| "We have dedicated three teams of police to interrogate several people," he added. | "We have dedicated three teams of police to interrogate several people," he added. |
| Another police official told BBC Hindi that the five women were now safe and under police protection. They are awaiting the results of medical tests. | Another police official told BBC Hindi that the five women were now safe and under police protection. They are awaiting the results of medical tests. |
| Officials believe the attackers could be supporters of a group that that is extremely hostile to "outsiders" entering the region. | Officials believe the attackers could be supporters of a group that that is extremely hostile to "outsiders" entering the region. |
| The group, which enjoys popular support among the district's tribal population, have even put up signs warning visitors about entering the area. | The group, which enjoys popular support among the district's tribal population, have even put up signs warning visitors about entering the area. |
| About 40,000 rape cases were reported in India in 2016. | About 40,000 rape cases were reported in India in 2016. |
| Many cases, however, are believed to go unreported because of the stigma that is attached to rape and sexual assault. | Many cases, however, are believed to go unreported because of the stigma that is attached to rape and sexual assault. |
| Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This latest incident comes as the country continues to reel from a string of recent attacks - a shocking case of child rape in Kashmir made international headlines in April. | Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This latest incident comes as the country continues to reel from a string of recent attacks - a shocking case of child rape in Kashmir made international headlines in April. |
| Jharkhand has also been in the spotlight recently after three teenage girls were raped and set on fire in separate incidents in May. | Jharkhand has also been in the spotlight recently after three teenage girls were raped and set on fire in separate incidents in May. |