City sees 5,487 cases of crimes against women till November

Until the end of November, 5,847 crimes against women were reported in Mumbai. This includes 2,390 cases of sexual assault and kidnapping of minor girls; and 913

Until the end of November, 5,847 crimes against women were reported in Mumbai. This includes 2,390 cases of sexual assault and kidnapping of minor girls; and 913 cases of rape, of which 552 had targeted minor girls. The detection rate was 79%, which is a marginal increase from last year (78%).

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Data from Mumbai Police shows a significant rise in certain crimes against women. Compared to 22 women murdered in 2018, the number rose to 35 this year. There were 650 cases of dowry harassment and domestic violence this year, compared to 463 last year. Dr Ruchi Sinha, professor of criminology and justice at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, said the increased numbers suggested more women were reporting crimes, rather than concealing them due to social stigma. She also said the increased number of minor victims suggested laws like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences were effective. “It also means that the criminal justice system along with other systems need to pool efforts to curb such crimes as these are rooted in patriarchal norms which need to be addressed by all systems.”

However, activist and lawyer Abha Singh said, “The criminal justice system has miserably failed and is responsible for the increase in crimes against women. Poor investigation, low conviction rate, long pendency of cases are some of the issues that require immediate attention.” She also said that further amendment to the legal definition of rape was required. “Cases like the 2012 gang-rape case in Delhi, the Shakti mill gang-rape case and this year’s Telangana gang-rape and murder cannot have the same connotation as rapes under false promise of marriage,” said Singh. She also suggested lowering the age for consensual sex as relationships between minors were often being reported as rape.

Mumbai Police spokesperson, DCP Pranaya Ashok, maintained that the increase in reported cases points to success of law enforcement and awareness programmes like Police Didi. “Our patrolling and response time has improved. We keep sensitizing our men on how to deal with crimes against women,” he said.