25% victims known to rapists

Delhi tops list of sexual assault cases in which victim was familiar with offender; reports highest incidents of incest rape.

The capital's sexual offenders have added more weight to the adage 'Don't trust anybody'. It is a fact so glaring that despite the best efforts of the Delhi Police, the mind of the average female Delhiite refuses to be without fear.

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As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report for the year 2009, the capital holds two dubious distinctions. Delhi has not only reported the largest number of incest rape cases across the country, but also the most cases of sexual assault in which the offender was known to the victim.

"The report, which compiled data till the end of 2009, states that the perpetrators were known to rape victims in 1,569 cases reported in 35 cities across the country, that year," said a senior Delhi Police officer, requesting anonymity.

"The capital accounts for 391 or 25% of such cases and the highest number of such cases reported from each of the seven metros," the officer said.

Out of these 391 cases, 19 were perpetrated by family members, 26 by relatives, 180 by neighbours and 166 by other known persons.

In fact, of the 107 cases of sexual assault, which were reported to the Delhi Police till March 31 this year, the perpetrators were strangers to their victims in just two instances.

On Saturday morning, an 18-year-old was raped by her brother's 42-year-old father-in-law in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. On April 3, a 35-year-old mother of two was allegedly assaulted before being raped by her neighbour in east Delhi's Kalyanpuri area.

"An eight-year-old was raped by her own uncle in north Delhi's Sarai Rohilla on April 3," the officer said adding that such instances abound.

According to the NCRB report, Delhi accounts for 391 cases in which perpetrators of sexual assault were known to the victim while Mumbai reported 164 such cases.

Only 15 cases were reported from Bengaluru and 19 from Chennai.

Ahmedabad reported 63 cases while Kolkata reported 42 cases.

Though Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta refused to comment, deputy commissioner of police and Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said: "While 140 rape cases were reported between January 1 and March 31 in 2010, the number stands at just 107 for the same period, this year. It is a significant decline, of 23% to be precise."