India rape cases turn focus back onto women's safety

…Overstretched police forces and courts lack the means to investigate cases thoroughly enough, hindering the reforms' impacts, criminal lawyer Shilpi Jain, who has represented survivors of sexual violence, told AFP. " The problem is not in the law but with the people who are implementing it ," she said. "Overworked judges. Overworked cops. One police station handles 200,000 to 300,000 people. How will it work? This is a vicious cycle." India's conviction rate for rape has remained largely stable since…

…robust laws against sexual violence. But campaigners say those changes, which included a broadening of the definition of sexual offences and the introduction of stronger punishments for rape, have proven inadequate. " Nobody is working on the actual solution, which is the mindset change ," women's rights activist Yogita Bhayana told AFP. "The mentality that it is a woman's fault to be out of home late, or men policing women if they are seen with another man," she said. "It is outrageous that society…

…a problem rooted in social attitudes and inequality. Deep-seated cultural taboos and political resistance have hampered the effectiveness of government programmes to raise awareness of sexual violence, experts say. " Prevention must begin much before a crime is committed: in homes, schools, communities, digital spaces and police systems ," Muttreja said. uzm/abh/mjw This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.…