The spectre of the horrendous December 16, 2012 gangrape is still haunting the national Capital as there has been no letup in crime against women. The safety and security of girls and women has always been a matter of concern. The recent rape of a woman executive by a cabbie was the stark reminder as to how women are soft targets during the night.
The annual data vis-à-viscrime against women paints a gloomy picture as there has been a steep rise in crime against women in 2014 with the number of rape cases growing by more than 30 per cent while cases of molestation registering a jump of around 25 per cent as compared to 2013.Delhi Police statistics presented by Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi reveal that nearly 96 per cent rapes were committed by those who were known to the victims or her family members. The number of strangers being involved in cases of rape was a minimal four per cent cases.
In the year 2014 (up to December 15), 2,069 rape cases were reported as compared to 1,571 cases in the corresponding period of the year 2013. 4,179 cases of molestation of women were reported during the year 2014 (up to December 15). Out of these, as many as 67.17 per cent cases have been solved. All complaints received in police stations pertaining to rape, molestation of women and eve-teasing have been dealt with on priority, data released today by Delhi Police revealed.
“95.94 per cent of the rape cases reported to police have been committed by accused known to the victim or her family. Special care was taken in respect of investigation of rape cases and emphasis was given on collecting scientific evidence. Women Police officers were preferably assigned the investigation,” said a senior police official.
The Delhi Police, Commissioner BS Bassi said, “One of my foremost concerns during the year 2014 has been the safety and security of women in Delhi. A number of steps have been taken by Delhi Police in this regard and a few were listed out by me last year.” He said that in addition to the measures taken by the force, every woman in Delhi would be trained in self-defence. “We appeal to everyone to join hands with us so that every woman in Delhi gets trained in self-defence. I want every woman to have a brown belt in judo,” said Bassi
“For this we also plan to conduct mapping of Delhi so that we can choose the areas from where the women will be trained,” he added. Consequently, approximately 80 per cent of cases of crime against women are being worked out within first fortnight of the reporting of an incident. Bassi said that the women recruits of Delhi Police will now be given a complete year-long unarmed combat training so that when they walk out of the academy all of them are brown belt. “We are also planning to rope in all the right minded and trained people from the general public for imparting self-defence training to women,” he said. “Crime against women is a blot on our social order. A society that claims to revere and respect women has not been able to fully tame men with criminal mindset.