Gang-rape

Gangrape -- India's new nightmare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-LXuO6Bf1M
Gang rape is committed for revenge and not necessarily for sexual gratification.
Women are the vulnerable sections of society. Women are not treated equally by men.

Victims
Rape and gang rape lead to humiliation, shame, pain and suffering for the victims.
Victims are blamed and shunned from society.
They go through stigma and trauma.

Causes:
Liberalization and globalization, visual media depicting sexual violence.
TV, Movies, Pornography on the Internet having tremendous influence on people.
Aggressiveness and violence in society.
liquor bars.
Subordination of women in society.
Sexual morality is crumbling.
Use of force for sexual gratification.

Insensitivity of the criminal justice system.
Criminal justice system is neither prompt nor effective.
Powerful people use money power or influence to get away with crime.
Lack of fear of law.

Sexual Violence - Punjab

An ASI (Asst Sub Inspector of Police) Ravinder Pal Singh was shot dead by a politician of the Akali Dal party in Punjab.The ASI was trying to defend his daughter from eve-teasing by the politician.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1pjhEJkMVSs#

Existing laws can  protect women. But a  broken criminal justice system leads to impunity for criminals and lack of fear of law.

Law enforcement does not promote deterrence.

Sociologists feel that sexual repression leads to sexual aggression. Others feel that the system of education does not help to inculcate moral values in the youth.

The transitional society in India promotes arrogance of power and arrogance of wealth and a trigger-happy upper class.

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Gender Violence

In the developed world women are equal to men. But in many of the developing countries including India, women suffer indignity and human rights violations ranging from female infanticide to domestic violence, just because they are women. Prime causes are tradition, religion and  prejudice against women.

In 2009 in Managalore, India, young girls were beaten up and driven out of a pub just because they were women and were not supposed to drink.

45% of Indian women are subjected to violence of all sorts. This involves physical and mental torture. Many of these incidents are not reported because of social stigma.  Inefficiency of the Indian justice system to provide quick and effective relief, makes it worse for the victims.

Nari Adalat formed in 1996 is a proposed solution to solve cases without legal hassles.

Watch this documentary titled "Violence against Women in India" produced by IIM Ahmedabad
http://youtu.be/tNHMFZgPUwM

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Human trafficking in India

Human trafficking is an affront to human dignity.
By threat, fraud, abduction or deception,  children --both male and female, girls and women are forced into flesh trade. children are auctioned off as a domestic workers, children are sold as child labor in factories
girls are promised jobs and forced to work in ayurvedic massage parlors, girls are promised decent jobs as receptionists and sold to dancing bars, children are exploited by sex tourists, the modus operandi is varied and diverse.

There is need to create awareness of the crime, to rehabilitate victims, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to break the network of traffickers and organized crime.

No human being deserves to be enslaved.

This video is an eye-opener on the wide ramifications of this organized crime:
http://youtu.be/9yJWvphsa3A

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The fight against sex slavery of girl children

Stories of commercial sexual exploitation.
Gang-raped by eight men at the age of 15, Dr Sunitha Krishnan was stigmatized and ostracized because she was a victim of rape.
She has devoted her life to rescuing children from sexual slavery. Even children from well-to-do families are trafficked and forced into prostitution. They become voiceless 'anamika's.
She has rescued over 3500 girls, many of them HIV positive.
She rehabilitates girls and women from prostitution, restoring dignity to them.
She has been beaten up several times by traffickers. She cannot now hear from her right ear. One of her workers was murdered. But she says her greatest challenge is social attitude towards the victims of flesh trade or victims of rape and human trafficking.
She advocates fiercely for the acceptance of victims into civil society.
http://youtu.be/jeOumyTMCI8

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Immoral trafficking of women in India

Hear Dr. Sunitha Krishnan,  founder of 'Prajwala', Hyerabad and social activist:
http://youtu.be/zAfiP8rFzFU

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Harrowing tales of harassed and exploited women in India

Read the shocking tales of sexual harassment and exploitation of women in Indian cities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20765364

An insensitive police and broken criminal justice system add to the problem.

But isn't the root cause a degrading value system with absence of social commitment to protect women in India at home, in the work place or in public places?

Joseph Ponnoly

Crimes Against Women in India- the Story Continues

Crimes against women continue unabated throughout India.
These indicate that women do not enjoy freedom and equal rights with men.
From 2008 to 2012, a number of incidents have been reported from Mumbai to Guwahati and throughout India, involving criminal assault, rape and murder of women. These have not attracted the attention they deserve to deal with underlying causes.  Criminal investigation and prosecution are inefficient and ineffective. Prevention has not been the focus of administrators or social groups.

Read the New York Times report of July 2012 on the Guwahati incident.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/world/asia/18iht-letter18.html?_r=0

For women  to move about freely and safely in India is still a distant dream.
-Joseph Ponnoly

Punishment for Rape in India sec 376 IPC

Sec 376 IPC is bit confusing: Read the India Today Article:
Rape and Sexual Offences: Crime and Punishment in India:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rape-and-sexual-offences-crime-and-punishment-in-india/1/238406.html

For Sec 376: rape:  maximumum punishment is life imprisonment or ten years (applicable only when the victim is under twelve years old and not one's wife).
Normal punishment is two years or fine or both.

Crimes against women in India- NCRB Report 2010

The 2010 NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) Report - Chapter 5 deals with Crimes Agaainst Women:
http://ncrb.nic.in/cii2010/cii-2010/Chapter%205.pdf


Crimes against Women:
(1) The Crimes under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
(i)  Rape (Sec. 376 IPC)
(ii) Kidnapping & Abduction for specified purposes  (Sec. 363 - 373 IPC)
(iii) Homicide for Dowry, Dowry Deaths or their attempts (Sec. 302/304-B IPC)
(iv) Torture - both mental and physical (Sec. 498-A IPC)
(v) Molestation (Sec. 354 IPC)
(vi) Sexual Harassment (Sec. 509 IPC)
(vii) Importation of girls (upto 21 years of age) (Sec. 366-B IPC)
 
(2) The Crimes under the Special & Local Laws (SLL)
 (i) Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
(ii) Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
(iii) Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
(iv) Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987

Reported Incidents of crime 2010 
A total of 2,13,585 incidents of crime against women (both under IPC and SLL) were reported in the country (India) during 2010  recording an
increase of 4.8% during 2010 over previous year.   Andhra Pradesh, accounting for nearly 7.1% of the country’s population, has  accounted for 12.8% of total crimes against
women in the country by reporting 27,244 cases. West Bengal with 7.6% share of country’s population has accounted for nearly 12.2% of total crime against
women by reporting 26,125 cases in 2010.

Crimes against women in mega cities
Among 35 cities, Delhi (3,886) has accounted for 16.0% of total crimes followed by Hyderabad (1,964) (8.1%).  The crime rate was significantly higher in Vijayawada,
Jaipur, Faridabad, Lucknow,  Vishakhapatnam and Agra .Delhi city has accounted for 23.0% of Rape cases, 37.7% of Kidnapping & Abduction cases, 14.6% of Dowry Deaths and 16.5% of
Molestation cases among 35 cities. Hyderabad has reported 12.2% of cases of Cruelty by Husband and Relatives. Vijayawada has reported 16.0% of cases of Eve-teasing.
Kolkata city has reported 3 out of 7 cases reported under Importation of Girls.

Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Jaipur have booked more cases under Special & Local Laws among the mega cities. 11.9% (111 out of 934) of
cases under Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and 81.3% (557 out of 685) of Dowry Prohibition Act cases were registered in Bengaluru city alone. Similarly, 18.6% (174), 14.3%
(134) and 13.2% (123) of 934 cases under Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act were registered in Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai respectively. All the 24 out of 26 cases under Indecent
Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act cases were registered in Jaipur city accounting for 92.3% of such cases.

Delhi Gang-rape: The tale of horror

Delhi Gang-rape: The tale of horror.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-gangrape-victim-narrates-the-tale-of-horror/article4230038.ece

Delhi gang-rape: victim narrates the tale of horror

www.thehindu.com

The statement of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student, who was gang-raped and assaulted on a moving bus on December 16, was recorded by a sub-divisional magistrate at the Safdarjung Hospital here on Friday night.

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  Joseph Ponnoly Crimes against women is not a law and order issue alone: Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQzUJcgoA7s&feature=endscreen&NR=1
  

  
  

  I have not seen such a brutal rape in my career: Delhi Police Commissioner

  www.youtube.com
  

  The man in the hot-seat Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar talks to NDTV on ...See More

  
  
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  Joseph Ponnoly Sunitha Krishnan gang raped at the age of 15 tells her story and the story of thousands of victims of gang rape and white slavery:http://www.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia.html
  

  
  

  Sunitha Krishnan: The fight against sex slavery | Video on TED.com

  www.ted.com
  

  TED Talks Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing women and children...See More

  
  
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  Joseph Ponnoly Delhi Police Commissioner Shri Neeraj Kumar and his team deserve praise for the quick and prompt action taken by the Delhi police. On receiving the information, the police rushed to the scene, helped the victims by taking them to the nearest guest hous...See More

  
  
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  Joseph Kattoor The offenders are rabid demons. Our police are efficient. Our legal system needs improvement to dispense justice in time without causing further harassment to the victims.

  
  

Why is India so bad for women - The Guardian

Why is India so bad for women?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/why-india-bad-for-women

 "In India, women and girls continue to be sold as chattels, married off as young as 10, burned alive as a result of dowry-related disputes and young girls exploited and abused as domestic slave labour," said Gulshun Rehman,

Dowry deaths, illegal trafficking, domestic slave labor...... the list goes on.

Safety of Women in India

The gang-rape of a student in Delhi caused an uproar throughout India against increasing sexual crimes and crimes against women.

There was rioting in Delhi for many days by young people asking the government to take action against the rapists and to see that India is made safe for women.

A commission of inquiry has been appointed to go into the incident and to suggest measures to ensure safety of women and to deal with crimes against women.

How safe are women in India?

Why are sexual crimes on the increase?

What can be done to enforce the law to safeguard the lives and dignity of women?

Why do such incidents happen?

Very many questions that need to be answered.

This forum could help to collate news and views to help policy makers and administrators.

This is also intended to create wide awareness of the problem of crimes against women in India.

-Joseph Ponnoly