Why is Delhi the rape capital? Police will take expert help to analyse psyche of rapists
According to the Delhi Police crime statistics 930 rape cases reported in last six months, a rape every four hours in the capital
Why is Delhi the rape capital? What goes through the mind of a rapist? Why is a woman vulnerable in Delhi unlike other metros? The Delhi Police are trying to understand what could be the causes of rape, and the psyche of a rapist, and have issued a tender notice inviting sociologists, researchers and psychologists to carry out the research to find the answers to these questions.
The researchers will be interviewing rape accused and convicts for a sample survey about their profession, age, social background, behaviour and the circumstances when they committed the rape.
According to the Delhi Police crime statistics, a rape case is reported every four hours in Delhi. Last year, there were 2,155 cases of rape reported, a notch lower than the number of cases reported in 2015. This year this number has already touched 930.
According to the tender document, researchers will be expected to study 400 to 1,200 people including people affected by rape, victims and their acquaintances to understand the sociology behind rape. A minimum of 100 accused or convicts will also be psycho analysed to understand what precipitated their actions.
The police, through the work of the researchers, are trying to understand if events in early childhood can determine later actions, and also to determine how internal conflicts result in “mental disturbance.” In addition to understanding the causes of rape, the Delhi Police also hopes to uncover patterns and trends in rape cases through the study.
Sources said the researchers will be sternly told that they cannot make public their findings or share it with any other unit, other than the Delhi police crime branch. “The idea to do this type of study was discussed in a meeting in 2015 with the then top brass and the former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung. Firefighting rape can start only after we understand the cause and the problem areas. We may even make this report public after removing the names of rape survivors and the accused persons,” said a senior officer.
“Based on the information gathered through surveys/interactions with accused/victims/police officials, recommendations stating a solution to the problem are required. It is very useful as it calls people to action based on the evidence that has been gathered and analysed in the report,” reads the report.
Police say that most men arrested for rape are between the ages of 18-25 and contrary to perception it isn’t migrants who are arrested for rape. Delhi police data shows that at least 80% of the men arrested for rape are from Delhi
A pre-bid meeting is expected to be held on July 24, after which online tenders could be submitted starting from August 16.
