India shamed: Chances of a woman being raped doubled in past 20 years
The chances of an Indian woman being raped have nearly doubled over the past two decades, but the probability of conviction has declined by a third, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The message is clear: India is a dangerous place for women. From the khap-dominated Haryana to "progressive" Bengal, rape is a grim reality in India with triggers that are as diverse as the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the country.
Every 20 minutes, a woman is raped in India. Every third victim of rape is a child, according to 2011 figures from the NCRB. The accused is convicted in only one of every four cases where trial is completed, often stretched over several years.
Worse, pendency of rape cases in trial courts has increased from 78% to 83% over the past two decades.Madhya Pradesh topped the list among the states with the highest number of reported rape cases last year.
Haryana reported at least a dozen rapes in the past month - a spurt that prompted Congress president Sonia Gandhi to rush to Jind where a Dalit girl burnt herself to death after being gang-raped.
Beyond the numbers
The NCRB numbers capture only those cases that are reported to police, but officials agree that many rapes go unreported due to social stigma.
Also, "it is quite possible that the police, in some places, discourage victims from pressing charges," said a senior police officer who didn't want to be named.
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