Mumbai: A latest report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates that crime against women in 2018 increased by 10 per cent over the previous year and this continued till November 2019, with an increase of 10 per cent. The data accessed by the Free Press Journal shows that till November 2019, 5,847 cases of crime against women were registered in the city, compared to 5,529 cases in November 2018.
Alarmingly, the cases of rape have also seen a steady rise. In 2019 last year, 913 cases of rape were registered in the city, while in the same month last year, the tally was at 810 cases. Sexual offences against minors have also seen a steady rise, whereby till November last year, 552 minor girls rape complaints were reported. However, this figure was 516 till November 2018.
In cases of crime against minors, the Mumbai police did their part by maintaining the detection rate over 95 per cent since the past few years. However, the detection rate for the overall crime against women is around 80%, shows the figure. Though the police has taken various initiatives, it could not stop the increasing rate of crime against women in the city.
"To reduce the crime against minors in the city, we are conducting initiatives such as 'police didi',
whereby our women police officers visit schools and give lectures to students about the good and bad touch. We also monitor the city through our network of CCTV cameras," said Mumbai police spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pranay Ashok. "We help Mumbaikars through our social media and keep the victims identities a secret."
"Women in the city are educated and they want the culprits to be punished, so that their fate is not experienced by anyone else," said a social activist. "The women in the city are no longer willing to budge before society's pressure and are ready to fight for their rights. These aspects have helped in the registration of cases."
After the Nirbhaya case in 2012, authorities have become sensitive towards women. When a woman approaches a police station, she is dealt with more sensitivity than in the past. Presently, women have the social media designated helplines to raise their voice, which has also helped in an increased number of cases being registered.
“The major reason for an increase in the crime against women is the poor conviction rate. As the rate is going down, it would motivate the criminal to continue their crime against women,” said senior advocate Abha Singh.
“Social media is one of the main reason for an increase in crime. Women disclose their identity and location to strangers on the social media, which is dangerous. While going to meet someone, they should inform their schedule to their family members,” added Singh.
