ALAPPUZHA: Despite stringent laws and awareness campaigns, the state remains insecure for women. At 1,319, the rape cases were the decade's highest last year. The police statistics reveals the number of rape cases has gone up from just 5,00 in 2007 to 1,319 till October 2016. There were 11,618 cases of crimes against women registered during this period last year - 3,351 molestations, 276 eve-teasings and 126 kidnappings apart from rapes. Expressing concern, state Women's Commission chairperson K.C. Rosakutty said the delay in justice delivery and absence of harsh punishment contributed to the alarming increase in cases.
Seminars and classes were not enough, she said, so the panel had been demanding fast-track courts and speedy trials. “Many women are now showing courage to stand up and get rapists booked. But the present system fails to ensure right punishment at the right time,” she said. “The delay leads to victims as well as witnesses turning hostile. Even if punished, they often use loopholes to get away with lighter punishments.”
Malappuram tops the list with 1,208 cases crimes against women registered last year - of them 137 rapes, followed by Thiruvananthapuram rural with 114 and Palakkad 98. Malappuram also witnessed the highest number of cases of cruelty by husbands and other relatives - 380. Thiruvananthapuram Rural topped in molestation (451) and kidnapping (15) while Ernakulam Rural reported the highest number of eve-teasing cases (41).
