12% of rape victims kept silent for 10 years: study

 

New Delhi: At least 12% of rape victims did not share their trauma with anybody for 10 years or more. About 70% feared that the offender would return to hurt them again. Around 70% pretended to be all right to avoid talking on the subject.
   About 65% of victims had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder even six months after the sexual assault. And roughly the same percentage of women said they had suicidal thoughts intermittently for two years.
   These are some of the initial findings of a study conducted between 2000 and 2008 by a Delhi-based NGO, Swanchetan. “The statistics have been derived from the narrative of 142 victims who were counselled by women psychologists. Each of the survivors had counselling with us for at least six months,” says clinical psychologist Rajat Mitra, also the organization’s director.
   National Crime Records Bureau statistics show that between 1953 and 2006, reported incidents of rape grew by 678% — 2,487 cases in 1953 to 19,348 cases in 2006. Every 27 minutes a woman is raped, making it the fastest growing crime in India.

Many victims fear rapist might return


New Delhi: A study conducted by a Delhi-based NGO Swanchetan has revealed that survivors of rape attacks who kept silent for 10 years finally decided to go for counselling after either reading an article in a newspaper or after watching a television programme which said that counselling would help. They had not confided in anybody due to a feeling of ‘shame’.
   To get over the trauma, many survivors even feigned they were all right to avoid uncomfortable questions.
   “For instance, a victim might switch on the television and pretend to be watching a programme so that everybody in the family thinks she is back to her usual self and leave her alone,” says Mitra. Many women feared the offender might return. “In some cases, the perpetrator had given indications of coming back. This is what had caused the fear,” he says. Nearly 63% of the women said that they could not shout when attacked.
   “They felt an intense sense of disbelief and horror at what someone was doing to them. Many had difficulty explaining why they could not shout or scream and described as if their voice had frozen at that time although they could feel an inner resistance against the offender.
   “Which is why many victims also faced difficulty explaining to the police and the court why they did not shout or raise their voice. The truth is that not being able to scream during a threatening event happens with many victims. During counselling when the victims were told about this they felt better,” says Mitra.
   On an average, a sexual assault survivor had to recount the incident at least six times to police, doctor, family and friend. “In some cases, the number was much higher. In the police station itself often a survivor is made to relive the incident several times,” he says.
   Activist Ranjana Kumari says that a victim’s initial testimony must be recorded in the presence of a magistrate so that it becomes admissible in court.
   “This will stop a victim from having to relive the nightmare again and again before different officials,” says Ranjana, director of Centre for Social Research — an organization that works on women’s issues.