Marital rape: finding the right to say no
Published on: 22 July 2021, 04:54 am
Stressing on the violation of constitutional values and international law obligations that occurs due to Indian criminal law refusing to recognize marital rape as a legal offence, ABHINAV MEHROTRA and KONINA MANDAL recommend equipping One Stop Centres for women to support rape survivors and the adoption of a national policy to eradicate prejudices against married women.
—-
AS the Supreme Court asks trial judges to not reveal the identity of victims of sexual offences cases, a question arises regarding who gets categorised as 'survivors' of sexual offences.
This question assumes more relevance during the ongoing pandemic when staying home has become the norm. It is advised to remain indoors to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, but the domestic space is not the safest place for those women with violent partners, who face a looming risk of exacerbated abuse during lockdowns.
The severity of the issue can be understood from the statement made by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General flagging "a horrifying global surge in domestic violence" due to coronavirus lockdowns.
One of the most odious forms of such violence is in the form of rape.