Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday opened up about the sexual harassment she endured during her childhood. In a video posted by the news agency ANI, she can be seen saying, "I was sexually assaulted by my father when I was a child. He used to beat me up, and I used to hide under the bed".
According to the most recent government crime data, India registered 31,677 rape crimes in 2021, an average of 86 every day, with approximately 49 incidents of crime against women reported per hour.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) 'Crime in India 2021' report, there were 28,046 rape cases in 2020, compared to 32,033 in 2019. The NCRB is accountable to the Minister of Home Affairs.
Rajasthan ranked first (6,337), followed by Madhya Pradesh (2,947), Maharashtra (2,496), and Uttar Pradesh (2,845), with Delhi recording 1,250 rapes in 2021.
The Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate revealed crime figures for the previous five years in January of last year, revealing an alarming increase in cases of crime against women with each passing year.
Crime against women increased from 1,194 in 2017 to 1,541 in 2019 to 1,775 in 2021, according to statistics. Rape incidents have increased from 176 in 2017 to 220 in 2019 to 292 in 2021.
Child rape and molestation cases reported under the POCSO Act increased from 160 in 2017 to 191 in 2019 to 272 in 2021. Molestation instances increased from 257 in 2017 to 363 in 2019, and 414 in 2021.
The data also revealed that only three of the 364 rape suspects apprehended were strangers, while the remaining 361 were acquaintances, family members, friends, or neighbours.
The report also revealed that kidnapping cases increased to 502 in 2021, up from 468 in 2019.
(With Inputs From Agencies)