47% rape victims in HP last year were minors: NCRB report
In Himachal, where the number of rape cases are steadily rising every year, the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) stats for 2014 show that 47% of rape victims in the state are below 18. In all cases, offenders were known to the victims.
In Himachal, where the number of rape cases are steadily rising every year, the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) stats for 2014 show that 47% of rape victims in the state are below 18. In all cases, offenders were known to the victims.
An NCRB report shows 284 rape cases were reported in 2014 across the state of which 135 victims are below the age of 18, including five below the age of six. While 21 victims are in the age group of six to 12 years, 56 are aged between 12 and 16, and 53 are in the age group of 16 to 18. As many as 97 cases were of victims aged between 18 and 30, 49 between 30 and 45 and three between the age group of 45 and 60 years.
The report reveals that in 283 cases, offenders were known to the victims. 24 were incest rape cases, in five cases offenders were close family members, in 16 cases offenders were relatives, neighbours in 49 cases and employers or co-workers in nine cases.
However, Himachal is among the states with comparatively lower number of rape cases and is stacked at the 20th place among 29 states. Highest cases were reported in Madhya Pradesh (5,076) followed by Uttar Pradesh (3,467) and Maharashtra (3,438). While lowest cases were reported in north-eastern states, including Nagaland (30), Sikkim (47) and Manipur (75).
Earlier, the NCRB data for Himachal in 2013 had highlighted that most rape victims in the state were teenagers as in the majority of cases, the victim was aged below 19. Even then, in most cases the suspect was either a relative or known to the victim. Of the 250 rape cases in the year, in 102 the victims were aged between 14 and 18, while in nine cases, the victims were aged below nine.
Up to July 31 this year, 141 rape cases have been reported in Himachal, while 183 cases were reported in 2012, 168 in 2011 and 160 in 2010.