CJI concerned at declining conviction rate in rape cases

Chief Justice Sathasivam lauded the effort made by Lawyers Collective Women's Rights Initiative (LCWRI) to empower survivors and exhorted all high courts, subordinate courts, legal services authorities and judicial commissions to translate the two publications in their language and distribute it to all stakeholders concerned.

'Today more than ever we are not just witnessing a rise in crime against women but an equally strong determination to fight such acts of wanton and unbridled violence by systematically using the potent instrument of law,' he noted.

Additional Solicitor General and LCWRI Director, Indira Jai Singh, observed that lack of a functioning legal system continues to be perceived as a major challenge for survivors of sexual assault and a concern for the public.

Citing NCRB data, she said it shows that while the number of rape cases reported from Delhi alone in 2013 has more than doubled since 2012, there was a steep decline in conviction rate for all major crimes against women.