A brutal gang rape in India revives painful memories of 2012 Delhi assault

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: A brutal gang rape in India revives painful memories of 2012 Delhi assaultImage source, Shahnawaz AhmadImage caption, The mother of four young children was attacked in her own home and gang-raped by a group of menByGeeta Pandey and Seetu TiwariBBC News & Hindi, Reporting fromDelhi & BegusaraiPublished22 June 2026Thirteen years after the gang rape of an Indian woman on a bus in the capital Delhi made global headlines, a new case that comes close in brutality inflicted on a woman has been reported from the northern state of Bihar. Campaigners say her story is also one of apathy from the police and medical authorities that women who face sexual assault, especially in small towns and villages, routinely encounter in India. Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Indian law prohibits naming victims of sexual assault so we are going to call the survivor Soma (not her real name). The 28-year-old mother of four young children told Hindi that she was attacked in her own home and gang-raped by a group of men who allegedly inserted objects into her vagina. The incident took place on the night of 11 June in a village in Begusarai - a district that is officially recognised as one of India's most socially and economically backward.

The Details

The case gained national attention after hospital officials confirmed she was assaulted with objects, which doctors removed. She also brought a bullet casing, which she said was one of the items used. Giving details of the horrific assault, Soma said she was in the toilet outside her one-room home at night when five men barged in.

The toilet does not have a door, only a curtain hangs over it to provide some privacy. "They stripped me, gagged me, and tied my hands. When I tried to fight back, they slashed my chest with a blade and raped me," she added.

Her husband, she said, initially dismissed her groans as noises made by a stray cat, but then he grew suspicious and tried to check. "But the house was locked from the outside. He called a neighbour who came and unlocked the door and everyone saw my condition and began to cry.

What Experts Say

"Image source, Shahnawaz AhmadImage caption, The survivor's house had an outdoor bathroom which only had a cloth curtain - she was attacked in thereBegusarai superintendent of police Maneesh (who uses only one name) told the that Soma's "medical report has confirmed sexual assault". "There are three named and two unidentified accused in this case. We have arrested two of them.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been constituted for the case, is conducting raids to arrest the others and the investigation is ongoing," he said. Police say some of the accused have a previous history of crimes and have invoked sections dealing with gang rape against them. On the night of her horrific assault, Soma said she received little help from the police or medical authorities.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.