INDEX: VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN
The young woman who accused a BJP legislator in Uttar Pradesh of rape and was critically injured in a car ‘accident’ has been moved to AIIMS, Delhi, on the orders of the Supreme Court, which also directed that all cases related to the Unnao rape be moved to Delhi and trials completed within 45 days of the CBI completing its time-bound investigation. The grisly circumstances surrounding the young woman’s rape, the physical intimidation and suspicious deaths of her family members prompted a UP schoolgirl to ask a senior state police officer, during a school visit, how they could guarantee her safety should she be the victim of “someone powerful”. The statistics are not reassuring. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2017 and 2018 has been delayed, for unspecified reasons, but the 2016 numbers show a substantial rise in crimes against women but a significant decrease in convictions.
83%
rise in crimes against women between 2007 and 2016, says NCRB; 338,954 cases reported in 2016
39
crimes against women per hour in India (2016), up from 21 (2007); 55.2 crimes per 100,000 women in 2016, 41.7 in 2012
38,947
rapes reported in India in 2016, up from 36,735 (2014); 26.6% convictions in 2016, lower than in 2014 (34.5%)
14.5%
of crimes against women in 2016 recorded in UP, 12.4% of rapes; 99.1% of cases of sexual violence against women in UP estimated to go unreported
36.7%
of “ever-married” women in UP have experienced spousal violence, says National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-16)
5.4%
women (15-49 years) say their husbands have used physical force to have sexual intercourse against their will (NFHS 4)
22%
Indian women experienced physical violence only; 1% sexual violence only; 5% both; only 14% seek help
24,212
FIRs relating to child rape filed between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2019, says SC; Trial begun in 6,449 cases (26.6%), 911 (3.8%) resolved
25
in MP given death sentence since May 2018, when max. punishment for “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” of children was amended