Tamil Nadu has one of the lowest rates for crimes against women in India. This distinction, coupled with the record of having the highest share women in the labour force, has reinforced the state’s image as a progressive society. Yet, despite such reassuring numbers, a disturbing series of horrific sexual assaults, particularly against children, has dampened public confidence. The recent rape and death of a three-year-old daughter of migrant workers in Tiruvallur district is a harrowing example—the injuries from the assault, allegedly inflicted by a 19-year-old migrant, were so severe that she succumbed the next day in a government hospital in Chennai.
The contrast between this brutality and the visible presence of women in the state’s public spaces is jarring. Blame has been put on the easy availability of psychotropic substances. Alcohol, too, is a contributor to violence against women and children—especially within homes. The accused in the Tiruvallur case was known to the child’s family, an observation that aligns with the grim national data showing 98.6 percent of convicted rapists across the country in 2024 were known to their victims.
Some sections have blamed rising crimes on the inflow of migrant workers, yet such cases are far fewer than those perpetrated by the state’s residents. The reality is that beneath the veneer of progress, Tamil Nadu, like the rest of the country, is a deeply patriarchal society—a fact that manifests in a range of acts of gender-based violence beginning with female foeticide. Compounding this is growing economic stress, which at times manifests in aggression against the vulnerable.
The solution cannot be knee-jerk. The state must incorporate gender sensitisation and age-appropriate sex education at every level of schooling. Children’s energy must be directed towards pursuits such as sports, away from substance abuse. Urban infrastructure must be audited, planned and rebuilt from a gender perspective. Ensuring tidy, well-lit, accessible public spaces would make a world of difference, as would boosting CCTV coverage and strategic police patrolling. The state must not criminalise migrant workers, but engage with them to ensure inclusion in the education, health and employment services in ways that assure their safety and the well-being of their families. Most importantly, cases of sexual violence must be investigated efficiently, trials must be fast-tracked and justice ensured without revictimising the child or woman.
