Rehabilitation of Rape Survivors: Policy, Trends and Challenges in India

Abstract

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, for every minute, three rapes are committed in India. What makes it worse is the ill treatment meted out to the rape victims by society and the legal system. The rape victim faces humiliation during the judicial procedure and delays in the rehabilitation procedure. Rape survivors need the help of a variety of institutions like the police, hospitals, government, society, and rehabilitation centres to overcome the physical and mental trauma. This paper will discuss the procedure for the rehabilitation of the rape victim and the legal provisions followed by the government during the trial procedure. Penal provisions and the recent changes in these legal provisions for the rape accused are also discussed in the paper. Compensation is part of the relief provided by the government as it fails to protect the victim’s basic rights. As rape is a serious infringement of the victim’s fundamental right, which is guaranteed by the government, the state is duty-bound to rehabilitate the victim. Although we have provisions for monetary compensation for rape victims in our legal system, there is an urgent need to revitalise the implementation process. Despite the fact that compensation, which is provided by the competent authority to the rape victim, cannot heal the victim physically or psychologically, it still helps the victim survive in this civilised society.This paper covers various government schemes for the victim’s rehabilitation. This paper has also focussed on the adequacy of the rehabilitation procedure and the monetary compensation that is given by the government.