India’s legal aid system, meant to be a lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence, is collapsing under its own weight—underfunded, poorly staffed, and structurally biased. Survivors, especially from marginalised communities, are routinely retraumatised by the very institutions meant to protect them. From hostile police encounters to apathetic courtrooms and tokenistic legal aid, the system fails those who need it most—while shielding perpetrators and sidelining committed legal aid lawyers.