German embassy snubs professor for rape remark
The 2012 rape case has refocused attention on the issue of violence against women
New Delhi: A German woman professor at University of Leipzig has apologised after citing the “rape problem in India” for refusing internship to an Indian male student, triggering a huge row.
Prof. Beck-Sickinger was quoted by the German Embassy as saying, “I have made a mistake. I sincerely apologise to everyone whose feelings I have hurt.”
German ambassador to India Michael Steiner lashed out at the professor, saying: “India is not a country of rapists”. The German embassy later said Mr Steiner had “noted” the university’s announcement that Prof. Annette Beck-Sickinger of its Institute of Biochemistry had apologised.
The 2012 rape case has refocused attention on the issue of violence against women. Rape is indeed a serious issue in India as in most countries, including Germany.