New Delhi: Most of the rape victims in the country belong to the age group of 18-30 years, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha that while a total of 46.1 per cent of rape victims were in the age category of 18-30 years, the corresponding figures for the data compiled for 2013 stood at 34.7 per cent (10-18 years), 13.8 per cent (30-50 years), 4.7 per cent (upto 10 years) and 0.8 per cent in the category of 50 years and beyond.
The Minister also noted that in many cases the offender was known to the victim, and the data for this was 22,549 in 2011, 24,470 in 2012 and 31,807 in 2013.
"However, in the absence of any specific study, this (cases of rape where victim was known to the offender) cannot be construed as an indicator of social malaise," he said.
On the rise in number of rape cases, Rijiju said, "Partly, the increase can be attributed to insertion of 166(A) in Indian Penal Code of Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, whereby, non-registration of FIR by a police officer has been made a penal offence."
The Minister added the "government and society needs to work in tandem to contain crimes against women and children".
