5% rise in crimes against women in 2018 over previous year: NCRB

Three months after the release of the much-delayed 2017 report, the National Crime Record Bureau has shared the 2018 crime data. As per the latest figures, the number of cases under ‘crime against women’ in 2018 was 3,78,277, which is a 5.12 per cent increase from 2017 and 11.6 per cent jump from 2016. The number of rape cases booked under IPC in 2018 was 33,356, while the conviction rate for rape stood at a mere 23 per cent.

Majority of the cases registered under ‘crime against women’ were ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives', followed by 'assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty', 'kidnapping and abduction of women' and rape.

Assam reported the highest rate of total crimes against women in 2018 (166%), followed by Haryana (107.5%).

Telangana saw a dip in the figures compared to the previous year. From 17,521 in 2017, the number of crimes against women was 16,027 in 2018. Uttar Pradesh topped the country in crimes against women between 2016 and 2018.

Snapshot of crimes against women

- Assam saw the most cases of cruelty by husband and relatives - 67%

- Cruelty by husband or his relatives - 31.9% of all cases of crimes against women

- Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty - 27.6%

- Kidnapping and abduction of women- 22.5%

- Rape - 10.3%

- The crime rate per lakh women population was 58.8 in 2018 compared with 57.9 in 2017

- A total of 1,38,642 rape cases remained pending in 2018

Crimes against children

In percentage terms, major crimes registered under ‘crime against children’ during 2018 were kidnapping & abduction (44.2%) and POCSO cases (34.7%) including rape.

The data for missing cases of children in the country showed an increase in the crime rate from 1.4 in 2017 to 1.8 in 2018.

The crime rate per lakh children population was 31.8 in 2018 compared with 28.9 in 2017

Delhi reported the highest rate of crime against children (147%)