<p>A spate of horrific crimes against women has rocked the country in the past few weeks, with molestations, rapes and murders being reported from most parts. They have shaken the nation, challenged the law enforcement system and brought into focus the issue of women’s safety and security as rarely before. The crimes have been targeted at women of all age groups and all categories like students, professionals, working girls and housewives and have been reported from all parts of the country. Apart from molestation and rape, they have also been subjected to brutal forms of violence like burning and torture, and many have been killed. Other kinds of crimes arising from dowry demands and those related to the sense of honour of families have also been reported. After the killing of a veterinarian in Hyderabad last month, other murders were reported from many states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Haryana and Maharashtra. </p>.<p>The epicentre of these crimes has been Uttar Pradesh, which has witnessed a number of brutal assaults on women, determined attempts by culprits to cover up the crime or to silence the victims, attacks on the victims leading even to their death, and the reluctance of the police to take action on complaints and many cases of protecting the culprits. Last year, the police dilly-dallied on the complaint of sexual exploitation by a young girl against the BJP MLA from Unnao in the state. The girl was seriously injured in an accident in suspicious circumstances later. Another girl who complained of rape by two men in the same area was attacked and set on fire by the alleged rapists. She succumbed to her injuries this week. Two three-year-old girls were raped in two villages in the district this week, and a young woman who went to the station to report an attempt to rape was told by the police that action would be taken after the rape actually happened. The district reported 86 rape cases in the last 11 months.</p>.<p>The pervasive environment of lawlessness and the sense of impunity, fortified by official inaction and even complicity, could only have made the district a centre of crimes against women in a state which is already known for such crimes. But Unnao and UP might present only the most aggravated and extreme scenario, and the situation might shift elsewhere next week or month. The reality is that women are not safe anywhere in the country, and the state and society have failed to ensure their safety anywhere and everywhere. Shooting the rapists, as happened in Hyderabad, is not the solution. It can only give rise to demands for killings in other places, as in Unnao. </p>
<p>A spate of horrific crimes against women has rocked the country in the past few weeks, with molestations, rapes and murders being reported from most parts. They have shaken the nation, challenged the law enforcement system and brought into focus the issue of women’s safety and security as rarely before. The crimes have been targeted at women of all age groups and all categories like students, professionals, working girls and housewives and have been reported from all parts of the country. Apart from molestation and rape, they have also been subjected to brutal forms of violence like burning and torture, and many have been killed. Other kinds of crimes arising from dowry demands and those related to the sense of honour of families have also been reported. After the killing of a veterinarian in Hyderabad last month, other murders were reported from many states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Haryana and Maharashtra. </p>.<p>The epicentre of these crimes has been Uttar Pradesh, which has witnessed a number of brutal assaults on women, determined attempts by culprits to cover up the crime or to silence the victims, attacks on the victims leading even to their death, and the reluctance of the police to take action on complaints and many cases of protecting the culprits. Last year, the police dilly-dallied on the complaint of sexual exploitation by a young girl against the BJP MLA from Unnao in the state. The girl was seriously injured in an accident in suspicious circumstances later. Another girl who complained of rape by two men in the same area was attacked and set on fire by the alleged rapists. She succumbed to her injuries this week. Two three-year-old girls were raped in two villages in the district this week, and a young woman who went to the station to report an attempt to rape was told by the police that action would be taken after the rape actually happened. The district reported 86 rape cases in the last 11 months.</p>.<p>The pervasive environment of lawlessness and the sense of impunity, fortified by official inaction and even complicity, could only have made the district a centre of crimes against women in a state which is already known for such crimes. But Unnao and UP might present only the most aggravated and extreme scenario, and the situation might shift elsewhere next week or month. The reality is that women are not safe anywhere in the country, and the state and society have failed to ensure their safety anywhere and everywhere. Shooting the rapists, as happened in Hyderabad, is not the solution. It can only give rise to demands for killings in other places, as in Unnao. </p>
