In 2012 December, India was shaken with the brutal gang rape of a young girl on the moving bus who was later thrown on the road in a mutilated state in the national capital Delhi. The girl died after battling for life weeks later. The outraged nation was on the road, demanding justice and stricter laws so that heinous crimes like rape and murder could be checked with greater security for women. The country is shaken once again with the rape and murder of a female doctor in kolkatta on August 9. As a young doctor interning in a leading medical college of the capital of west Bengal retires in the rest room of the hospital after a long working day she was attacked, gang raped, assaulted and brutally killed with her body left beyond recognition. Since 2012 and now, nothing much seems to have changed in the country where rape remains the fourth most reported crime where the cases of rape have increased many fold while many remains unreported. Year after year we hear and read stories of brutal assault and rape followed by murder in India which has the forth largest number of reported rape cases in the world.
It seems it is just the change of names of the victims from Nirbhaya to Abhaya to Ankita Bhandari and the cities of the crime from Unnao to Hathras, nothing else changes. How many more should we be waiting to be counted. Who is the next victim? Should we name her Yodhya (the fighter)? or ‘Shorya’ (the brave one)? With rape being the fourth most common crime against women in India (according to National Crime Records Bureau), isnt it time we dig into the cause of rapists mind while also dealing with the law and order situation in the country?
What goes behind rapists mind!
In 2021, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 31,677 registered cases of rape in India, averaging 86 cases per day. This marked an increase from the 28,046 cases reported in the previous year. The NCRB also highlighted that 89% of the rapes were committed by individuals known to the victims, with minors making up 10% of the victims.
In just one month, as the nation united in outrage over the rape and murder of an MD doctor girl in Kolkata, numerous other rape cases were reported across the country. In Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, a 13-year-old girl was raped. Nawab Singh Yadav, a Samajwadi Party leader and close aide to Akhilesh Yadav, was arrested for attempting to rape a minor. In another incident in Ayodhya, UP, a local bakery owner and his employee were arrested for raping a minor two months prior, with the crime coming to light when the girl’s parents took her to the doctor for stomach pain and discovered she was pregnant.
In a particularly shocking incident, a woman was raped by a private bus driver in Telangana while traveling from Telangana to Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh. Disturbingly, the rape occurred in the presence of other passengers on the moving bus. Another distressing case in UP involved a teenager who was forced to climb on top of a water tank to compel the police to take action against her rapists.
These cases represent just a fraction of the incidents reported, with many more going unreported due to social stigma. In the national capital, six rapes and seven molestation cases are reported daily. Despite the uproar on social media, rape cases continue unabated and without shame. Neither public shaming of the culprits nor the laws of the country have been effective deterrents.
This raises the question: why do men rape? Is it driven by sexual gratification, mental health issues, or a desire to assert power and masculinity over the weak?
Dr. Samuel Smithyman, a U.S. clinical psychologist who interviewed 50 men who confessed to committing rape, was struck by how callous and indifferent they sounded when discussing their crimes. He found it difficult to pinpoint a single motive behind their actions. However, common traits among those interviewed included a lack of empathy, narcissism, and hostility toward women.
Psychology of Rape
Sherry Hamby, editor of the American journal Psychology of Violence, argues that sexual assault is less about sexual gratification and more about domination. Many perpetrators are young men, and in some social circles, sexual experience is seen as a key component of male status, with a lack of sexual activity stigmatized.
Hamby believes that peer pressure plays a significant role, with some men feeling compelled to assert dominance over women to avoid being perceived as sexually inexperienced by their peers. This distorted view of masculinity is often reinforced by cultural elements and media that suggest men should dominate women.
The Role of Society and Culture
In India, the prevalence of rape is influenced by a variety of factors. One of the most significant is the deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset, which teaches men from a young age that women are subservient and belong in the domestic sphere.
Cultural norms and traditions also play a role, such as the expectation that women bring dowries when they marry, despite the practice being illegal. This view of women as burdens to be transferred from one family to another can perpetuate violence against them.
Additionally, the normalization of violence against women within families, observed by young boys as they watch their mothers and sisters being mistreated, further perpetuates this cycle of abuse.
Lack of education and awareness, particularly in rural areas, leaves girls vulnerable to domestic violence and sexual abuse. However, even educated women, like Nirbhaya and Abhaya, who came from families that encouraged their independence, have not been spared from the violence by perverted men.
Despite the existence of laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act (2013), enforcement remains inconsistent.
Police are often easily bribed or pressured to silence victims, and delays in the judicial system further encourage perpetrators. The Nirbhaya case took seven years to reach a conclusion, despite going through fast-track courts, and it remains uncertain how long the Kolkata rape and murder case will take.
For sure, her parents will not only miss her for the rest of their lives, but they will be made to live the horrific moments their daughter suffered as long as they are alive and will spend most of their time trying to get justice for their daughter.
Men from politically influential families, or those with political backing, often feel emboldened to commit such heinous acts.
But others who hold power over vulnerable victims are not far behind. While India is a rapidly growing economy, capable of sending rockets to the moon’s south pole, the safety and rights of its women remain unsecured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) should perhaps be revised to “Beti Padhao, Beti Jalao” (Educate the Daughter, then Burn the Daughter) to reflect the grim reality that many women in India continue to face. Will India ever learn?
