Sexual Crimes Against Women In India

Abstract

In an age so often characterized as "empowering" for women-and with so much rhetoric devoted to women's supposed choices about their bodies and sexualities-the occurrence of rape and sexual coercion of women serve as a sobering reminder of patriarchy's widespread influence.1 The very offence of Rape seems to be a common one in India. Rape is a social disease. Hardly a day passes without a case of rape being reported in Indian newspapers and media. Women belonging to lower castes and tribal communities are seems to be more at risk. What seems to be sad about rape in India is the lack of seriousness with which the crime is often treated. Statistics of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2013 shows, 93 women are being raped in India even- day. According to NCRB data, there is a gradual increase in the number of rapes reported in India - from 24,923 in 2012 to 33,707 in 2013.2 Women's groups attest that the strict and conservative attitudes about sex and family privacy contribute to ineffectiveness of India's rape laws. Victims are often reluctant to report rape. In an open court victims must prove that the rapist sexually penetrated them in order to get a conviction. This can be especially damaging. After proving that she has been raped, a victim is often ostracized from her family and community. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that rape laws are inadequate and definitions so narrow that prosecution is made difficult.