75% Of Victims Never File A Police Complaint After Being Sexually Assaulted: Survey

Most victims turn away fearing retaliatory action by perpetrators. Survey respondents feel that police at ground level should be sensitized.

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New Delhi: International Women's Day celebrates women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities. The day is a focal point in the movement for women's rights. It serves as a reminder for people to stand up for the equality and freedom of women. 

LocalCircles survey found that over 75% of victims do not report sexual assault fearing retaliatory action by perpetrators and their threats. Aside from this, victim blaming and complicated legal procedures does not make it easy for survivors to report cases. Out of 7,697 responses, 15% said “though we tried hard to file an FIR or police complaint, the police did not register it and did not take any action” when asked what action did the victims take when they or a family member faced molestation or sexual advances by someone in a public place.

A 2020 study on sexual harassment in public places by Michigan State University researcher Mahesh K Nalla, which surveyed men and women in various parts of Delhi, found that only 38.1 per cent of the victims and 42. 2 per cent of the offenders were aware of the laws against sexual harassment.

The NCRB report in 2019 suggested that out of 4 lakhs reported cases of crimes committed against women, 32,033 were cases related to rape.

According to LocalCircles Survey, a report titled “Fifth Edition of Death Penalty in India”, 77 death sentences, involving 76 prisoners, were imposed by trial courts in India. Of which, 50 sentences were related to cases involving sexual violence against women, and 48% of those cases were related to a child below the age of 12.

Public Spaces:

Findings from the poll that received 7,966 responses indicated that trains, stations, public gatherings and streets are top locations where the majority of Indian women have experienced molestation or sexual advances. 23% said “train or train station”, 17% said “local train or metro or its station”, 20% said “public gathering”, 7% said “religious place”, 10% said “market”, 17% said “street”, and 6% said “other location”. 

Public spaces including religious places have turned into a breeding ground for such perpetrators. Some of the suggestions given by the survey respondents was early sex education with a stress on consent, effective monitoring systems that would make potential perpetrators think twice, and to sensitize police forces at the ground level effectively.