Sofia Hayat might be publicity hungry, but women do get molested at places of worship

Trust Sofia Hayat to take Internet by storm every time she opens her mouth. First, she grabbed eyeballs by turning into a nun and taking a vow of abstinence, next she got Swastika tattoos on her feet, and now she is back in the news with claims of getting sexually assaulted in Mecca.

According to a report by Times of India, Hayat visited the holy city with her fiancé Vlad for an Umrah, where she was molested, pushed, and almost strangled by a crowd of men. In fact, the lady took to Instagram to share her harrowing experience.

"Today on my second Umrah as I attempted again to touch the black stone, I was being pushed by men. One man was pushing his genitals into me from behind," she said

Now, we are not sure how authentic her claims are since there's no denying that the actress is, indeed, publicity hungry. But, women getting molested and sexually assaulted at places of worship is a sad reality–one that cannot be ignored.

Yes, women are not safe on the streets, in their offices, and even in their homes. However, it's even sadder that they are not safe in the house of God too. And there are a series of incidents to prove the same.

For instance, in 2015, a temple priest molested an eight-year-old girl in South Delhi's Rajokri area. The incident had occurred when the girl, along with her four-year-old brother, had gone to the temple. There she was lured by the priest to a bathroom where he molested her. And this is not a sole incident.

The same year, a priest was thrashed by a woman inside a temple in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh after she alleged that he had molested her inside the temple.

Also, it's almost become an everyday occurrence when we come across reports of gullible women getting sexually assaulted by priests in churches. As per a report by The Hindu, Robin Vadakkancheril, a parish vicar was arrested for raping a minor girl in Kannur district, in March 2017. Vadakkancheril was accused of sexually abusing the girl in the church premises, after which she got pregnant.

It's deplorable but the list of crimes is endless. In 2014, a catholic priest was accused of raping a nine-year-old girl, who was attending church classes for receiving her first communion.