An Indian woman holds a bucket as she along with her children go for latrine in the open, on World Toilet Day on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, 19 November 2014. November 19 has been designated as World Toilet Day by the United Nations, to draw attention to the issue of sanitation and to create awareness about the importance of toilets. Over 70 per cent of India's population still defecate behind bushes, in open fields, on the roadside or along railway tracks. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, an estimated 2.5 billion men, women and children around the world lack access to basic sanitation services, of which 792 million live in India. EPA/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI
Police in southern India say a 24-year-old woman has cut off the genitals of a Hindu holy man who tried to rape her and who she says has been sexually assaulting her for the past eight years.
G. Sparjan Kumar, a police officer in Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala state capital, says the woman fled her home after the incident Friday night and called police.
The alleged attacker, 54-year-old Gangeshananda Theerthapada, who claims to be a spiritual healer, was reported to be in stable condition after reconstructive surgery.
Pinarayi Vijayan, the state’s chief minister, told reporters on Saturday it was brave of the woman to take such action.
Violent crimes against women have been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted by the government.
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