The woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after she tried to prevent a group of thieves from robbing a Christian missionary school in eastern India.
Police said she was raped by eight men at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in Nadia district in West Bengal.
The men threw religious items to the ground before escaping. They have yet to be found.
Indian Feminist writer and publisher Urvashu Butalia said the thieves likely targeted the convent because of its links to Christianity.
"The rape seems to be a part of a burglary or a theft, but also possibly a religious motivated attack against minorities, and to me that is the really disturbing part of it," she said.
India has long been criticised for its lack of action on sexual violence.
In December 2012 a 23 year old woman was killed during a gang rape on-board a bus in New Delhi.
Ms Butalia added: "That is the really disturbing part of it, how sexual violence is being used to target minorities.
"I think there is a lot of resurgence of small Hindu fundamentalism groups who feel, in a strange way, Hinduism is somehow under threat.
"The Prime Minister's silence on this is encouraging them.
"Because otherwise why would they desecrate the church and throw things down and break things?"