This report from NGO Evidence,based in Madurai,is honestly very disturbing to read . 40% increase in crimes against women in Tamil Nadu is not small thing ah,especially when report says women and children from SC/ST communities are suffering most.
And during press conference held on June 22 ,executive director A . Kathir put out details from study which looked at data from 2019 to 2024 across 26 districts . What makes it more painful is not just number of cases,but how victims are still carrying trauma long after crime happened .
The study says only three out of 90 reported cases resulted in convictions . That one line itself says a lot about how weak justice process feels for victims. FIRs were registered in all instances,but Kathir noted that in 98% of cases,charge-sheets had not been filed for variety of reasons .
And tbh,this is where anger comes naturally . If FIR is there but case is not moving ahead,what exactly is victim supposed to believe in?
Few things standing out clearly in this report:
- Among 90 cases,63 victims reported being raped,and 27 indicated multiple assaults.
- Victims ranged in age from 16 to 66 years ,with many from Parayar and Arundathiyar communities.
- Around 7,500 cases are pending across districts in Tamil Nadu.
The report also shows how caste and gender violence are mixing together in worst way. Victims reported threats,physical violence and severe abuse,mainly from individuals from dominant castes . In various incidents,murders of victims were also recorded,and report says caste-based killings often do not get enough attention from law enforcement .
One case mentioned from April 2022 in Thanjavur is especially painful. A young SC woman was gang-raped,but even after 40 months ,there has been no legal resolution . Just imagine family waiting for justice for more than three years and still nothing properly settled .
Kathir has urged government to strengthen relationship between police and judiciary,saying many accused exploit loopholes in legal system . His statement also hits hard: "Only when women feel safe,irrespective of caste,will society progress. Victims need to see that justice is served to restore their faith in system."
And honestly,this is not just about statistics anymore . It is about whether marginalized women can even expect basic safety and timely justice in real life,or whether cases will keep sitting in files while victims wait and wait…
