Topic: violence against women

In 2020, 3,71,503 cases of crimes against women were registered across India, the Union government told Parliament on Wednesday, citing data from the National Crime Record Bureau.

Google searches in the United States related to violence against women saw a sharp rise during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study published in The Journal of General Psychology.

The Indian government’s failure to properly enforce its sexual harassment law leaves millions of women in the workplace exposed to abuse without remedy, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Wednesday.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the execution today of four men who were convicted of raping and murdering a 23-year-old student in December 2012.

“In a suicide note, the victim had mentioned her ordeal and urged police officers to ensure that the culprits are punished,” said an officer. Sources told The Indian Express that nearly two hours before the body was found, the police had registered FIR against three persons – all distant relatives of the victim – on charges of rape. The SSP said as per the FIR, on May 15 when the woman had gone to a nearby market, she met three relatives. They claimed that her husband was unwell and that they were going to Delhi to visit him. The victim said in her complaint that she decided to accompany them. “The victim had alleged that the accused took her to Secunderabad city in Telangana and kept her in a room where they raped her. Around a week later, when the accused were taking her to Delhi, she called her parents using a co-passenger’s cellphone and told them about her ordeal. The victim had said her father, along with some others, reached Delhi railway station, he added. “She claimed that upon spotting the group at the station, the accused fled,” said the SSP. The SSP said that on June 12, the victim met ADG Avinash Chandra seeking directions to register FIR. Avinash Chandra directed circle officer to get an FIR registered, said the SSP. Additional Superintendent of Police, City (Badaun), Jitendra Kumar Srivastava said a probe was on.

While the government has passed a series of laws increasing punishment for rape of an adult to 20 years in jail, widespread violence against women in the country continues. Earlier this year, India's government approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping a child under 12.