Rapes in India: Every 4th victim a minor, 94% offenders known

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Every fourth rape victim across the country in 2018 was a minor, while more than 50 per cent of them fell in the age category of 18 to 30 years, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. In almost 94 per cent of the cases, the offenders were known to the victims – family members, friends, live-in partners, employers or others, the data showed. As many as 33,356 incidents of rape were reported during 2018 involving 33,977 victims, an average 89 rapes daily. In 2017, 32,559 rape cases were registered, while in 2016 the number stood at 38,947, the data stated.

Overall, 72.2 per cent of rape victims were above 18 years and 27.8 per cent below 18, the data stated.

In 2018, 51.9 per cent rape victims (17,636) were aged between 18 and 30 years, 18 per cent (6,108) above 30 and below 45 years, 2.1 per cent (727) above 45 and below 60 years and 0.2 per cent (73) above 60 years, it showed.

According to the NCRB, 14.1 per cent rape victims (4,779) were aged above 16 years and below 18 years, followed by 10.6 per cent (3,616) who were between 12 and 16 years, 2.2 per cent (757) who were between 6 years and 12 years and 0.8 per cent (281) were below 6 years.

Among states, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest (5,433) such cases in 2018, followed by Rajasthan (4,335), Uttar Pradesh (3,946), Maharashtra (2,142), Chhattisgarh (2,091), Kerala (1,945), Assam (1,648), Delhi (1,215), Haryana (1,296), Jharkhand (1,090) and West Bengal (1,069).

The NCRB data also showed that in almost 94 out of 100 rape cases, the victim were known to the offenders.

In 15,972 of the total 33,356 rape cases, the offenders were either family friends or neighbour or employer or other known person, while in 12,568 cases, the offenders were friends or online friends or live-in partner on pretext of marriage or separated husband, the data stated.

In 2,780 cases, the victims were violated by their own family members, while only in 2,036 cases the offenders were unknown to them, according to the statistics.

The NCRB, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, is responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.

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