And you have the right not to be .....

I read a story today about how the Supreme Court of India had to clarify that just because a woman had a past history of promiscuity, it did not give anyone the licence to engage in intercourse with her without her consent. I am not sure how to react. The Supreme Courts judgement though right calls into question how such a defence was mounted in the first place.
The Supreme court's intervention was required because the High Court acquitted the accused on the basis of the past sexual history of the victim.
We are not talking about some Kangaroo Court. That the High Court of an Indian state can pass such a judgement is appalling and outrageous and sadly betrays a very unenlightened view of a woman's role in society But more imoportantly it takes away a more fundamental right, a right not to be sexually assaulted under any pretext.