Suzette Jordan

Suzette Jordan (1974 – 13 March 2015) was a victim of a gang-rape, a prominent womens-rights activist and anti-rape campaigner from Kolkata, India. Referred to in the media only as the Park Street Rape victim, she publicly revealed her identity as a survivor of gang rape in 2013 to protest the spate of ongoing rapes and murders of women, and to encourage other survivors to speak out.^[1][2]

Under Indian law, the identity of a victim of rape cannot be revealed without the individual's permission. Until Jordan waived her right to anonymity in June 2013, her case had been dubbed the 'Park Street rape' by the Indian media, after the Kolkata street on which the attack took place in February 2012.^[2][3] When Jordan originally reported the crime, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, called her a liar and accused her of trying to embarrass the government, a position that provoked national outrage.^[4]

When Jordan revealed her identity as a survivor of rape, she said, "Why should I hide my identity when it was not even my fault? Why should I be ashamed of something that I did not give rise to? I was subjected to brutality, I was subjected to torture, and I was subjected to rape, and I am fighting and I will fight."^[2][5] At the time of her death, three of the five men accused of raping Jordan inside a moving car had been arrested and were on trial, although they denied the charges. The remaining two, including the main suspect, had not been arrested.^[4]

Jordan became a women's rights activist and briefly worked as a counsellor for a helpline for victims of sexual and domestic violence.^[6] She spoke up against the humiliation and discrimination against victims, for instance when she was denied entry into a Kolkata restaurant. She made use of the media, appearing in a talk show, Satyamev Jayate hosted by actor Aamir Khan,^[7] as well as through Facebook to highlight societal issues.^[8]

She had two daughters, and died at the age of 40, of meningoencephalitis.^[1]

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