Unreported, Unheard, Unhealed

India’s sexual violence crisis is not born of lawlessness, but of apathy, weak enforcement, and deep-rooted patriarchal complacency

- RANJAN MUKHERJEE

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in three women worldwide has experienced sexual (read: rape) and physical violence in their lifetime, primarily by a family member, friend, or acquaintance. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that in some countries, up to 70 per cent of women experience violence and molestation, including rape, at some point in their lives. The majority of rapes worldwide go unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and a lack of trust in law enforcement. As per data, only about 10 per cent of rapes are reported to the police. Victims are targeted based on their vul-

nerability, which can include age, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. Young females are always at a higher risk of being assaulted.

According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, in 2020, there were about 126,000 reported cases of rape in the United States. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) estimates that one in five women and one in seventyone men have been raped at some point in their lives. Similar to other countries, rape in the US is significantly underreported — around 68 per cent. One common factor is that, in most cases, perpetrators are known to the victim. Based on Eurostat data, in 2018, there were approximately 1,18,000 reported cases of rape across the European Union. Due to differences in legal definitions and cultural attitudes toward reporting rape, it is learned that the numbers vary and fluctuate; nevertheless, it remains a major challenge.