NEW DELHI: On an average, 88 rapes take place every day in India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2019.
However, the conviction rate is as low as 27.8%. This means, out of 100 accused, only 28 gets convicted.
The NCRB data reveal the rate of crimes against women increased from 58.8 in 2018 to 62.4 in 2019.
There were 32,033 incidents of rape and the crime rate for rape was the highest in Rajasthan, where 5,997 rapes were reported in 2019.
Uttar Pradesh reported 3,065 incidents, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 2,485, Maharashtra 2,299 and Kerala 2,023. Delhi reported 1,253 rape cases in 2019.
One of the common reasons why criminals don’t get punished is the poor police investigation. Reasons such as hostility of witnesses and complainants and the familial pressure on the victim also play a role.
The NCRB figures assume significance as it also shows that in many cases, victims don’t approach the police complaining about the rape or sexual assault.
Expressing concern over the low conviction rate, even the Supreme Court had observed that 90% of rape cases end in acquittal.