Forty-two-year-old Hari Chand, working as a peon at Panjab University, was arrested in May this year for raping a minor in a vacant house at Maloya.
The rape victim was the daughter of Chand’s close friend, who before leaving for work left her at his house in Sector 38 for her safety. Chand, instead, took the girl to his vacant house in Maloya and raped her. This is not an isolated case, where a person known to a minor violated her.
In April this year, a call to the child helpline saved a teenager from sexual abuse by her cousin. The victim, who was staying at Maloya with her father’s sister after the death of her parents, was sexually exploited by her aunt’s son. She even got pregnant twice and underwent abortion. Like the 10-year-old girl who is now nearly eight-month pregnant after being raped by her maternal uncle, these girls may never be able to trust their close ones.
Even the National Crime Records Bureau data reveal that women are more vulnerable to sexual assault by people they trust. In Chandigarh, 20 rape cases have already been reported since January, of which in 10, the victims are minor. A senior police official said in 75% cases of rape, the accused were known to the victims,. Of these, in 6% cases they were related by blood while in 12% cases they were neighbours.
{{/usCountry}}Even the National Crime Records Bureau data reveal that women are more vulnerable to sexual assault by people they trust. In Chandigarh, 20 rape cases have already been reported since January, of which in 10, the victims are minor. A senior police official said in 75% cases of rape, the accused were known to the victims,. Of these, in 6% cases they were related by blood while in 12% cases they were neighbours.
{{/usCountry}}What is more shocking is that in most cases the victims were subjected to the crime within the four walls of the house, making it the most dangerous place for the girls.
Poor rate of conviction and lack of awareness among women has led to a spurt in cases of sexual assault, says legal luminaries. "Most offenders have been subjected to abuse early in their life. Alcohol and other narcotic abusers may also get involved in such crimes. Where relatives are involved, the victim lives with the trauma and bears everything silently till she reports the matter to the police,” said advocate Ravinder Rana.