Jan 2nd, 2010

Times of India

Sexual offence victims face social stigma -


Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows a sharp rise in crimes against women. It might be pertinent here to cite a recent study by the UK government of rape cases in the country, which shows that a majority of convictions in rapes are from admission of guilt and not because of successful trial as the delays in investigation and the social stigma related with sexual offences often force the victims to withdraw the case.

If that's true in the UK, we can imagine how much worse the social pressures in India would be and hence how crucial it is to minimise delays in prosecuting such cases.

Perhaps the Sexual Offences (Special Courts) Bill, 2010 seeking a maximum six months trial period for sexual offences might reduce the influence of the accused on the course of justice and hence provide a fairer trail for the victims of sexual offences.