Girl's Choice Of Clothes Is Personal, Can't 'Corrupt Boys': Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court ruled that a woman's choice of clothing is a personal decision and cannot be used to justify harassment or suggest that it 'corrupts' others. The court emphasized that society should focus on teaching respect and conduct rather than policing women's attire.
Why it matters
This judgment sets a significant legal precedent against victim-blaming and reinforces the right to personal autonomy in public spaces.
The Delhi High Court on Monday stated that a girl's choice of clothing is her personal decision and suggesting that her wearing jeans might 'corrupt young boys' reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha, while convicting a man of sexually harassing a girl in 2013, observed that instead of controlling the clothes of girls, parents and society must teach their children to control their conduct, respect personal boundaries and treat every human with dignity.The girl alleged that the accused, her neighbour, stalked her, made sexually coloured remarks and touched her inappropriately.Before the high court, the State challenged the acquittal of the accused by the trial court in 2014.In the judgement, the court took exception to the girl's character assassination in the "line of cross-examination and arguments" adopted by the counsel for the accused in the trial, noting that the questions put to her included her "western" dressing, religion…
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