Archive · 10 Oct 2026
From Kolkata to Cornell, the Dangerous Power of the Pack
The article looks at sexual assaults involving groups of men in different places.
It says people in a group may encourage one another to do things they would not do alone.
Private places and the belief that nobody will speak up can help the group stay silent.
Phones and the internet can help people plan, record, or share assaults.
But messages and videos can also help investigators find evidence.
The article says pornography may affect ideas about sex, though the evidence does not prove it causes rape.
It calls for preserving evidence and holding institutions accountable when they fail to act.
It also says families, teachers, and friends should teach boys to respect women and resist harmful group pressure.
The article compares group sexual assaults linked to South Calcutta Law College, Cornell, and a village in France.
It argues that groups can encourage perpetrators to abandon individual responsibility and reinforce one another’s actions.
Phones and online platforms can help organize assaults, record them, and circulate material that harms survivors.
The article says digital records can also preserve evidence and help bring perpetrators to justice.
It urges evidence preservation, breaking group silence, institutional accountability, and teaching boys to respect women.
- Who
- The article discusses perpetrators and survivors connected to incidents in Kolkata, Cornell, and Mazan, France.
- What
- An opinion article examines group sexual assault, digital culture, and ways to prevent assaults and pursue accountability.
- When
- The article does not give publication or incident dates; it says Dominique Pelicot abused his wife for nearly a decade.
- Where
- South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata, Cornell in Ithaca, New York, and Mazan in southeastern France.
- Why
- The writer argues that group validation, private settings, silence, and digital tools can enable assaults and their recording or sharing.
- Places compared
- Kolkata; Ithaca, New York; and Mazan, southeastern France
- Kolkata institution
- South Calcutta Law College
- United States institution
- Cornell
- Mazan case
- The article says Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife, Gisèle, and invited other men to rape her for nearly a decade.
- Evidence discussed
- The article says Pelicot’s recordings and messages helped convict him and other men.
- Survey finding
- England’s Children’s Commissioner found 58% of surveyed young people had seen pornography depicting strangulation before turning 18.
- Proposed measures
- Preserve evidence, challenge group silence, hold institutions accountable, and teach boys to respect women.