Startling rape statistics in India and worldwide

LAHORE: The prevalence and intensity of the much under-reported rape crime and other sexual violence against woman particularly is getting worse the world over, research conducted by the Jang Group and Geo Television Network shows.

The daily occurrences of rape and sexual abuse are hence affecting close to a billion women and girls over their lifetimes.

In India, according to AFP, the Paris-based news agency, nearly 34,000 rapes were reported in India in 2018.

Quoting official data, the world's oldest news agency had written: "Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of any state with 6,500. But the figures are considered the tip of the iceberg, with many more victims too scared to come forward."

According to the government data, 32,500 cases of rape were registered with the police in 2017 – almost 90 per day.

The National Crime Records Bureau on October 21, 2019, released its report for the year 2017, which had stated that 359,849 cases of crime against women were reported in the country.

Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India.

One rape was reported every 15 minutes in India during 2018. The states which saw the highest absolute number of rapes were Madhya Pradesh (5,433 or 16.3% of all cases), Rajasthan (4,355 or 13%), Uttar Pradesh (3,946 or 11.8%), Maharashtra (2,142 or 6.4%) and Chattisgarh (2,091 or 6%).

According to the 2018 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau, 33,356 rape cases were reported across the country. Out of these, 31,320 were committed by perpetrators known to the victim (93.9% of the cases) and 27.8 per cent were below the age of 18.

(References: The National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, India Today, and the United Nations)

According to the 2020 World Population Review, a Los Angeles-based company providing demographic information on population of countries and cities, the 10 countries with the highest rates of rape (number of incidents per 100,000 citizens) are:

South Africa has recorded 132.4 rape cases per 100,000 citizens in 2020. The total number of cases here rests at 66,196.

Botswana has registered 92.9 rape cases per 100,000 citizens in 2020. The total number of cases here rests at 1,865.

Lesotho registered 82.7 rape cases per 100,000 citizens in 2020. The total number of cases here rests at 1,777.

Swaziland has recorded 82.7 rape cases per 100,000 citizens, while the total number of cases here stands at 849.

Bermuda has witnessed 67.3 rape cases per 100,000 citizens, while the total number of cases here stands at 849.

Sweden has witnessed 63.5 rape cases per 100,000 citizens, while the total number of cases here rests at 5,960.

Suriname has seen 45.2 rape cases per 100,000 citizens, while the total number of cases here rests at 223.

Costa Rica has recorded 45.2 rape cases per 100,000 citizens, while the total number of cases here rests at 1685.

Nicaragua saw 1829 of its women raped, while it recorded 31.6 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 32 women Grenada were raped, which thus means 30.6 rape cases per 100,000 citizens.

The United States has a rape rate of 27.3, and number of cases here rests at 84,767.

As in many other countries, rape is grossly underreported in the United States due to victim shaming, fear of reprisal, fear of family knowing, cases not being taken seriously by law enforcers, and possible lack of prosecution for the perpetrator. Only 9% of rapists in the US get prosecuted and only 3% of rapists will spend a day in prison. 97% of rapists in the United States will walk free.

The number of rape incidents per 100,000 citizens in different countries:-

Australia has a rape rate of 28.60, and number of cases here rests at 6,378.

In Belgium, the ratio is 27.90 and 2,991 cases, New Zealand has a 25.80 ratio and 1,129 cases.

In Norway, the ratio is 19.20 and 938 cases, Israel has 17.60 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,243 total cases, France has 16.20 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 10,108 total cases. Finland has 15.20 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 818 total cases, South Korea has 13.50 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 6,321 total cases, Luxembourg has 11.90 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 57 total cases.

Ireland has 10.70 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 479 total cases, Austria has 10.40 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 875 total cases, Bangladesh has 9.20 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 11,682 total cases, Germany has 9.40 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 7,724 total cases, Holland has 9.20 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,530 total cases, Italy has 7.60 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 4,513 total cases, Sri Lanka has 7.30 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,432 total cases.

Oman has 6.60 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 183 total cases, Denmark has 6.40 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 400 total cases, Romania has 4.70 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,007 total cases, Bahrain has 4.60 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 36 total cases, Kuwait has 4.50 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 119 total cases, Spain has 3.40 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,578 total cases.

Russia has 3.40 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 4,907 total cases, Palestine has 3.00 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 105 total cases, Jordan has 2.00 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 110 total cases, Qatar has 1.80 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 13 total cases, India has 1.80 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 22,172 total cases.

Turkey has 1.50 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,071 total cases, Nepal has 0.80 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 210 total cases, and Japan has 1.00 rape cases per 100,000 citizens and 1,289 total cases.

Figures do not take into account rape incidents that go unreported.

Interestingly, countries like the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were not on this 2020 "World Population Review" document.

As far as the United Kingdom is concerned, research shows, just 1.5 per cent of all (886) rape cases reported to the police had led to charge or summons during 2018-19.

According to the British Office for National Statistics, in year 2018, over 700,000 people aged 16 to 59 were victims of a sexual assault.

However, "Statista," a German online portal for statistics, which makes data collected by market and opinion research institutes and data derived from the economic sector, states in its July 2020 report: "In 2017/18, there were over 54,000 rape offences recorded by the Police in England and Wales, an increase of over 10,000 when compared with the previous year, the largest year-on-year increase in this period."