At least one woman is raped almost every 9 hours

’16 Days of Activism’

Mon, 25 November 2024 12:00 Last update date: Mon, 25 November 2024 12:16

IMAGE: Amreeta Chowdhury

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IMAGE: Amreeta Chowdhury

However, her grandmother decided to drop the matter in order to protect Marium’s “reputation”.

Despite the community activist’s effort to seek legal justice for the child, his ‘dignity’ was more important to the grandmother and the community.

When the police arrived, community members dismissed the incident as an “exaggerated rumour”, ultimately granting the rapist immunity and giving him the chance to further exploit the child and other girls in the slum.

This is an edited excerpt of a case study from the investigative report “Why Rape Survivors Stay Out of Court: Lessons from Lawyer Interventions,” published by BLAST in 2018.

The scenario in Bangladesh has changed little since then. According to experts, underreporting of rape cases remains a problem.

For example, data from leading human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) showed a total of 4,787 rape cases from January 2020 to September 2024.

While 1,627 rape cases were reported in 2020, only 329 rape cases were reported between January and September 2024.

Legal experts say rape data does not adequately reflect the true scope of the problem because many rapes go unreported.

An analysis by this reporter of ASK data over four years showed that a rape occurs every 9 hours; This means that at least two women were raped every day in Bangladesh during this period, according to media reports.

A 2024 report by the National Girls’ Advocacy Forum said that amid political unrest and crises in Bangladesh, the needs of women, girls and vulnerable groups are being overshadowed in the media.

Supreme Court lawyer and ASK Chairman ZI Khan Panna also shared this concern and said: “I believe the real number is much higher. We rely on newspaper data and verify cases with the police when necessary. Naturally, if there are victims, the numbers are lower. Do not come to the police.”

“We estimate that about 30 out of every 100 incidents are never reported,” said lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua.

Experts have pointed out that there has been no fundamental social change to reduce rape; Instead, distrust, mistrust of the justice system, and suspicions of legal processes continue to provide impunity to rapists.

“Social power dynamics remain the same regardless of which party is in power, so reporting may be reduced, but the actual events are likely unchanged,” Jyotirmoy said.

AT LEAST 1 OUT OF 3 RAPE REMAINS WITHOUT A FILE

Of the 4,787 rapes reported in the media, only 3,419 cases were prosecuted, and almost one in three cases were not prosecuted.

Women’s Rights Activist Khushi Kabir attributed this to the lack of support in the legal system. “Women face distressing conditions in court and cases can last 8-10 years, making it almost impossible for complainants to withstand the costs, social pressures and protracted struggles.”

Lawyer Jyotirmoy asked: “There is no guarantee that a victim will get justice even if they file a lawsuit, so why bother?”

He added: “Rape cases often remain unsolved beyond the mandatory 180-day period and convictions are rare.

“The court alone cannot deliver justice because 99 percent of the process – opening the case, conducting investigations and presenting witnesses – is carried out by state authorities. The public’s lack of trust in the entire system, which is seriously flawed, is discouraging. Victims are prevented from filing and reporting cases, resulting in the court’s The ability to deliver justice is being undermined.”

Legal researcher Taqbir Huda, author of the 2018 BLAST study, says the lack of a state compensation mechanism for victims is also responsible for this situation. “Without such a system, rapists can buy impunity by offering small amounts to survivors or their families, preventing them from pressing charges in the first place, or persuading them to drop prosecution later.”

Although the Law Commission submitted the draft Crime Victims Compensation Bill to the home ministry in 2007, this law remains unaddressed to date, leaving survivors of rape and violence feeling alienated from the state machinery.

DEATH PENALTY IN 2020

Experts also note that the death penalty, introduced in 2020, is also a possible reason for the low convictions.

Taqbir said judges can currently only choose between life imprisonment and the death penalty, leading to convictions only in the most serious cases.

Jyotirmoy Barua said: “The death penalty does little good; rather, it often increases the chances that cases will never be decided. Every criminal case requires proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt, without any bias. The death penalty has often stalled the legal process “This process further delays justice.”

3 OUT OF 5 VICTIMS ARE CHILDREN

Five years of data analysis also revealed that 2,862 children aged 18 and under were raped during this period, meaning three in five victims were raped.

In 47 percent of cases where the age of the victims was determined, they were between 13 and 18 years old.

According to ZI Khan Panna, children are often targets of sexual abuse because they are underage, less conscious and unaware of their surroundings.

“Their vulnerability, combined with their inability to protest or fully understand the situation, makes them easy targets for perpetrators who take advantage of this psychological advantage.”

On October 12 this year, a nine-year-old girl was raped by an unidentified man with the promise of Tk 200 in return for carrying a bag to his home.

The sexual assault left the girl needing surgery to create a pathway to eliminate wasting, her mother told reporters. “Doctors are working to restore normal (bodily) functions, but my daughter’s health risks remain unclear.”

“If compulsory martial arts training was introduced in every school and comprehensive sexual education was included in the curriculum, cases of rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence could decrease significantly,” Panna said. he said.

Roksana Sultana, general manager of the children’s rights organization Breaking the Silence, emphasized how the culture of silence enables sexual abuse within the family.

“From a young age, children are often pressured to remain silent about abuse, especially within the family. Fear of blame or disbelief forces them to silently endure repeated harm.”

Roksana emphasized teaching children body boundaries and encouraging them to say “No.”

“Weak state mechanisms fuel all kinds of abuse,” he said, calling for major state reforms.

“As long as there is no intervention to protect women and girls, we cannot reduce crimes against them,” emphasized ZI Khan Panna.