Rape in India

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Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India.[1][2] According to the 2021 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 31,677 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 86 cases daily, a rise from 2020 with 28,046 cases, while in 2019, 32,033 cases were registered.[3] Of the total 31,677 rape cases, 28,147 (nearly 89%) of the rapes were committed by persons known to the victim.[4] The share of victims who were minors or below 18 – the legal age of consent – stood at 10%.[4]

India has been characterised as one of the "countries with the lowest per capita rates of rape".[5][6][7][8] The government also classifies consensual sex committed on the false promise of marriage as rape.[9] The willingness to report rapes may have increased in recent years,[when?] after several incidents received widespread media attention and triggered local and nationwide public protests.[10][11][12][13] This led the government to reform its penal code for crimes of rape and sexual assault.[14]

According to NCRB 2021 statistics, Rajasthan reported the highest number of rapes among Indian states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Among metropolitan cities, the national capital of Delhi continued to have the highest incidence of rape at 1,226 cases in 2021, while Jaipur had the highest rape rate (34 per 100,000 population). Kolkata had the least number of registered rape cases among metropolitan cities, with the lowest rape rate.[4]

  1. ^ Kumar, Radha (2003) [1993], "The agitation against rape", in Kumar, Radha (ed.), The history of doing: an illustrated account of movements for women's rights and feminism in India 1800-1990, New Delhi: Zubaan, p. 128, ISBN 9788185107769 Preview.
  2. ^ "Chapter 5: Crime against women", Crime in India 2012 Statistics (PDF), ncrb.gov.in, p. 81, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2016
  3. ^ "India lodged average 86 rapes daily, 49 offences against women per hour in 2021: NCRB data". The Hindu. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Nearly 20% Increase in Rapes Across India in 2021, Rajasthan Had Highest Cases: NCRB". The Wire. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  5. ^ Humphrey, John A.; Schmalleger, Frank (2012), "Mental illness, addictive behaviors, and sexual deviance", in Humphrey, John A.; Schmalleger, Frank (eds.), Deviant behavior (2nd ed.), Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning, p. 252, ISBN 9780763797737.
  6. ^ Gregg Barak. Crime and Crime Control: A Global View: A Global View. ABC-CLIO. p. 74. Overall, however, rape rates are still lower than most other countries.
  7. ^ United Nations (2009). African Women's Report 2009: Measuring Gender Inequality in Africa - Experiences and Lessons from the African Gender and Development Index. United Nations Publications. pp. 68–. ISBN 978-92-1-054362-0.
  8. ^ Colonel Y Udaya Chandar (23 September 2016). The Ailing India. Notion Press. p. 337. ISBN 978-1-945926-26-6.
  9. ^ Correspondent, Legal (13 April 2019). "Sex on false promise of marriage is rape: Supreme Court". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 April 2019. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ Siuli Sarkar (17 June 2016). Gender Disparity in India: Unheard Whimpers. PHI Learning. p. 283. ISBN 9788120352513.
  11. ^ Tamsin Bradley (28 February 2017). Women and Violence in India: Gender, Oppression and the Politics of Neoliberalism. I.B. Tauris. p. 105. ISBN 9781786721181.
  12. ^ Shahid M. Shahidullah (2017). Crime, Criminal Justice, and the Evolving Science of Criminology in South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Springer. p. 96. police-recorded rape rate in India has shown a sharp increasing trend in recent years against the declining trend of all other violent and property crimes.
  13. ^ Staff writer (19 December 2012). "Protests grow over gang rape of Indian woman (video)". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  14. ^ "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013" (PDF). The Gazette of India. Government of India. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2013.