India’s rape record

The gruesome gangrape of a foreign tourist in India is yet another reminder that despite the county’s rebranding propaganda, it remains the world’s most dangerous place for women. The victim and her husband — both travel vloggers who post in Spanish — were camping in Jharkand state when at least seven local men held them at knifepoint before thrashing them and gangraping the woman. The victims have praised the police for “doing everything possible to catch” their alleged attackers, but India watchers know it is highly unlikely that the suspects, even if caught, will actually end up being prosecuted and punished for their crimes.

After a Spanish journalist reshared on X an Instagram story video from the vloggers detailing their ordeal, several women shared their horror stories of visiting India. While Pakistan has its own problems with regard to women being able to exercise their right to free movement, the sheer volume of negative comments is harrowing. India’s lack of commitment to women’s rights can be gauged from the fact that it is one of the only countries in the world where marital rape is still not a criminal offense. And despite domestic and international outrage at the notorious 2012 gangrape of a student on a Delhi metro bus in 2012, after which the maximum penalty for rape was upgraded to death, the country still registers about 90 rape cases a day, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

Rights activists say official records severely understate the extent of the problem because hundreds of such cases are never filed because the victims fear stigmas and often lack faith in the police. At the same time, even those women brave enough to complain against their attackers are unlikely to see them convicted, as the Indian justice system provides low priority to crimes against women, unless they are picked up by the media. This is also why, we believe that the media frenzy will ensure that the victim in the recent case will get justice, but thousands of Indian women will continue to suffer in silence.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2024.

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