21 cases of sexual assault are pending for over 10 years in Tamilnadu
28 Jul, 2014A Madurai-based NGO, ‘Evidence’, conducted a study using data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) regarding the victims of sexual assault in Tamilnadu. As per the findings done by the NGO, a majority of sexual assault victims in Tamil Nadu are minors. The statistics shows that:
· The police had registered 923 cases of rape and sexual assault in 2013.
· 573 cases were taken up for study by the NGO which found that over 80 per cent of the crimes were reported from villages.
· Amongst these 573 victims, 199 were Dalits and 231 were caste Hindus.
· Nearly 65 per cent of the victims were less than 18 years of age.
· 46 per cent of the victims are dalits
Victims of sexual assault are subjected to humiliation, torture and are threatened with weapons by the accused prior to committing the crime. Victims remain in a state of trauma, and repeated threats coupled with embarrassment compelled some of the victims to even end their lives. Some females suffered multiple injuries during the assault and even were kidnapped. The records show that 2,462 cases were pending at different stages in Tamilnadu out of which:
· 21 cases were pending for over 10 years;
· 255 for over six years and
· 1258 cases for nearly five years.