Rape, deterrence and rehabilitation: a need to relook the policy discourse

Skylab Sahu ()

Journal of Social and Economic Development, 2017, vol. 19, issue 2, No 3, 283-298

Abstract: Abstract Two judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Lodha and Justice Lokur, in August 2013, instructed all the states of India to frame a relief and rehabilitation scheme for rape victims. Undoubtedly, this was a vital step to ensure women’s well-being as a woman rape victim often faces several violations of rights. The rape of a woman within marriage and outside marriage destroys her dignity and reproductive rights, and makes her susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases. This study was undertaken in two states of India to understand the link between marital rape, rape and HIV. It found that women who contracted HIV infection due to rape faced several social, economic and health problems, and yet received no rehabilitation support from the state. In this context, the instruction of the Supreme Court demanding the provision of compensation and rehabilitation to all rape victims needs to be followed by the reconsideration of the already existing discourse on law against rape, and the sensitive handling of rape victims who may also be HIV positive. There is an immediate need of provisioning sexual and reproductive health care services for rape survivors, and to ensure that rehabilitation schemes are accessible to every female victim in the society.

Keywords: Rape; Violence; Rights; HIV; Rehabilitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s40847-017-0046-y

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