Kerala actress sexual attack case: Survivor speaks out on public platform, says attempts to silence her

PTI, Jan 10, 2022, 1:43 PM IST

Kochi: The survivor in the actress assault case in which actor Dileep is an accused on Monday spoke out in public for the first time saying even though she was not the one who committed the crime, there have been attempts to humiliate, silence and isolate her.

The survivor, using her Instagram handle, said her name and identity were suppressed for the last five years.

”This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor. For 5 years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me. Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence and isolate me,” she said in her post.

The survivor thanked everyone who had stood by her and said some have stepped forward to keep her voice ”alive”. ”Now when I hear so many voices speak up for me, I know that I am not alone in this fight for justice. To see justice prevail, to get wrongdoers punished and to ensure no one else goes through such ordeal again, I shall continue this journey. For all those who are standing with me- a heartfelt thank you for your love,” she said.

The survivor — an actor who worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films — was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by some of the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area.

The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the actress.

There are ten accused in the case and initially, police arrested seven people. Dileep, the eighth accused was arrested subsequently and let off on bail later.