Almost 50% of rape case victims are only from SC/ST

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 03:15 PM

Almost 50% of rape case victims are only from SC/ST

Hyderabad, January 29: Recently, two Hyderabad police officers have conducted a survey on victims of rape cases. The survey states that nearly 50% of the 418 victims in rape cases reported last year in 12 districts of Telangana belong to Scheduled Castes and Tribes(SC/ST). While 45% victims were from the Backward Classes (BC), 5.98% victims belonged to Other Castes (OC).

The study was conducted by Hyderabad range DIG Akun Sabharwal and Inspector Venkat Reddy. They collected information from the Crime Record Bureaus of the districts of Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Gadwal, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Vikarabad, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Sangareddy and Siddipet.

These 12 districts were recently carved out of Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Medak and Nizamabad districts. Different angles like social status and aged group of the victims and accused were examined in the study.

Teenagers, especially those in the age group of 15-18 years, turned out to be the most vulnerable in rape cases. While 203 victims were in this age group, 80 victims were in the 18-25 years group.

Three women above the age of 50 years were sexually assaulted. While two cases were reported in Medak, the third was registered in Siddipet. Nearly 61per cent of the accused were in the age group of 18-25 years. Ten accused were above 50 years.

The study states that in 99.5 per cent of the cases, the accused were known to the victims. In three cases, the accused were the victim's family members. Neighbours accounted for 91 per cent of the accused.

Four of the 418 rape charges turned out to be false, the study indicated. While the investigation was yet to be completed in 58 per cent cases, the trial was pending in 39.7 per cent cases.

Over 80 per cent of the rape victims were poor or from below the poverty line background. Sixty-four victims belonged to middle class.

Mr. Sabharwal observed that many instances of rape were not reported due to fear of retaliation or humiliation. Not many States in the country had tried to estimate or survey unreported cases of sexual assault.