The parents of a young gay man in India arranged for him to be subjected to ‘corrective rape’ after finding out about his sexual orientation, it has been reported.
The man, who has not been named, lives in Kolkata with his male partner. He was not ‘out’ to his parents, however his partner’s parents were aware of the couple’s relationship.
When his family found out that he is gay, his they hired local thugs to ‘torture’ him by beating him and subjecting him to emotional abuse, The Indian Times reports.
They subsequently took him to a doctor for medical treatment to ‘cure’ him of homosexuality, whereupon it was suggested he should receive “corrective rape treatment”.
The young man hired a lawyer and served a restraining order against his family, in a bid to escape them and avoid the attack.
However, he has now reportedly run out of funds for legal proceedings, prompting concerns his protections could run out.
Many LGBT communities in India describe experiencing ongoing prejudice and persecution.
Under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code “unnatural” sexual intercourse is prohibited. This has been interpreted as banning same-sex intercourse.
In 2009, Delhi High Court effectively decriminalised homosexuality, by declaring the section unconstitutional. However, a 2013 Supreme Court verdict overturned this, essentially recriminalising it.
