Rape – A Heinous Crime

Rape is the most heinous crime against women in India. According to the National Crime Report Bureau’s 2013 annual report, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012. Out of which 24,470 were committed by someone known to the victim.

When rape is clearly classified under the Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, Why isn’t the Government taking strict actions against the perpetrators?

In different parts of the world the punishment for rape ranges from life imprisonment, death sentences to castration. But in India the Government do not seem to take it as a serious crime.

Karnataka Home Minister Mr. K J George states that “if a woman is raped by two men it is not considered as Gang Rape”. Ministers and God men have been giving ridiculous statements about rape. Why is the girl/woman blamed for rape?

Everybody says girls have to dress appropriately, not be adventurous,no mobile phone or any such activities that will eventually lead to rape. What about kids? Do we not see little girls/minors getting raped? An eight yr old girl was raped and murdered in Bangalore on Feb 5th 2015. Was it her fault too?

A rapist doesn’t see how a girl is dressed or what she does. If he has to rape her, he will. He will definitely not let the girl/woman go just by calling him “brother”.

In other countries if the accused is found guilty of rape, the punishment is carried out immediately. But in India the proceedings go on for years, within that time either the victim dies or it’ll take 10-15 yrs to get justice.

Instead of holding protests and light vigils for the victims, the government needs to make strict laws against rape or any other crime for that matter. The government is run by the people and for the people, the government needs to realise what a heinous crime this is rather than making statements and protecting their seats. We need to change the fact that India is not a safe place for women and try and make India one of the safest place for women like Iceland, Denmark, Austria and many other countries.

About Author:

Niva Shetty from Mangaluru is pursuing her masters in Mass Communication and Journalism at Nitte Institute of Communication. Her hobbies are watching movies, listening to music, traveling and exploring places. She is a volunteer for Animal Care Trust, Shaktinagar. She is always ready to help out when it comes to volunteering for animals.