Sisters told they will be gang-raped for brother's crime appeal to Supreme Court
Indian sisters told they will be repeatedly gang-raped as 'punishment' for brother's crime http://t.co/bEryMTNU5rpic.twitter.com/TOIdfH7dy3
— The Independent (@Independent) August 28, 2015
Two Indian sisters have been sentenced to be repeatedly gang-raped as punishment for crimes committed by their brother. They have pleaded with the Supreme Court in an effort to be protected.
After the girls' brother Ravi eloped with a married woman from a higher caste, the all-male council ruled that the sisters should be raped and paraded naked as punishment. The two have fled their village and Amnesty International is now running a petition to protect them. Amnesty International said:
"Unelected village councils such as this are widespread in parts of India. More often than not they are made up of older men from dominant castes, who prescribe rules for social behavior and interaction in villages."
23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari and her 15-year-old sister are the lowest caste in India - Dalit. Their other brother, Sumit Kumar, told Amnesty International, "The Jat decision is final." He explained the the members of the Jat caste are extremely powerful in the village.
The woman with whom Ravi eloped is thought to be pregnant and may also be in extreme danger. The two reportedly wanted to be together when she was forced to marry someone else.
The two sisters, who now fear for their lives, cannot return to their homes in the Baghpat district. They remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will take actions to help protect them.
Watch this video to learn more about the brutal gang-rapes in India:
More from AOL.com:
Bank robber says he stole for daughter's chemotherapy treatments
3-year-old girl shot in the stomach while playing in park
Abandoned baby girl found on family's porch with umbilical cord still attached
