Survivor knew rapist in 99% of cases

MUMBAI: The survivor did not know the accused in only 29 of the 4,144 rape cases registered in Maharashtra in 2015, revealed statistics compiled by the National

MUMBAI: The survivor did not know the accused in only 29 of the 4,144 rape cases registered in Maharashtra in 2015, revealed statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The study showed that in 99.3 per cent (4,115) of the cases, the accused was someone the survivor knew.

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The NCRB data has also shown the “offender’s relation and proximity to rape survivors” under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 376 (rape) in 2015.

The offender’s relation ranged from grandfather/father/brother/sons (69 cases), close family members (70), relatives (262), neighbours (729), employer/ co-workers (91), live-in partner/spouse/separated ex (34), persons who promised marriage (974), other known persons (1,786) and offenders not identified by victims (29).

Maharashtra stood second when it came to rape cases as Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rape cases last year with 4,391 cases.

Flavia Agnes, gender rights lawyer and director of Majlis, a Mumbai-based organisation that provides legal initiatives for women, stated that statistics should make us change the way we look at rapes.

“Most of the rapes took place in homes, either at the survivor’s place or at the place of the accused. Most of these cases are not immediately reported as the survivors do not want to speak or the family also doesn’t like to speak up,” said Agnes. “After the Delhi gang rape case, there has been a lot of talk about rapes happening in bad zones. However, girls and women are vulnerable at home, workplace and other places,” she added.