How was the term Digital Rape coined?
Why digital? The word is derived from the English word ‘digit’, whose literal meaning is number and integer. Additionally, the word also means finger or toes. In digital rape, the perpetrator uses his finger or fingers to infringe and compel the sexual act upon the victim. In simple terms, a person is accused of digital rape when the perpetrator uses his finger or fingers to penetrate the vagina of the victim without her consent.Need for a new law against Digital Rape
The term digital rape is comparatively a newer one. Previously such acts were considered molestation and not rape. However, with the unfortunate incident of Nirbhaya in 2012, new rape laws were introduced in Parliament 2and the act was considered a sexual offence under Sections 375 and 376 of the IPC. It was also covered under POCSO Act. The term was coined in 2013 to provide justice to the victims of the heinous act. The phrase ‘digital rape’ is gender-neutral and applies to all kinds of victims and offenders.Some Incidents of Digital Rape
In the recent case, Ali came to Salarpul village in Noida sector 45 to visit his married daughter. During that time he lured the 3-year-old minor daughter of a neighbour on the pretext of providing her candies. And inside his house, he “digitally” raped the girl. The girl’s parents filed a written police complaint. The medical examination of the girl confirmed that it was rape. Ali has been in the district jail since then. He has been refused any interim bail. Besides life imprisonment, he has also been slapped with a fine of Rs. 50000.
In another incident, a 60-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by an auto driver inside his vehicle in Delhi. An iron rod was used to penetrate her. Although the offender was arrested, he was not convicted under sections 375 and 376 of the IPC.
Similarly in 2012, a 2-year-old from Mumbai was taken to the hospital bleeding and although there was no proof of rape or sexual assault, the physicians found that her vagina was burst. Eventually, it was found that the father has been penetrating his fingers into the girl’s vagina. However, the father was detained and not tried under section 376 of the IPC.
Because such cases were previously considered molestation and not rape.
These cases threw light on the loopholes in the definition of rape, sexual offences and the laws surrounding them.
Knowing that there are other ways to violate a woman’s or a child’s dignity, the Supreme Court of India has to make some changes in the definition of rape.
The definition of rape was expanded in 2013 to include oral sex as well as the insertion of an object or any other body part into a woman’s vagina or any other part of the body.
According to several media reports, 70% of the time, people who have violated the dignity of a child are someone they knew personally and are close to.
Offenders they knew through social circles counted for 29% while 1% of cases registered for strangers being the offender.
Justice Krishna Iyer in the case of Rafiq v. State of U.P .made a remark that,
“A murderer kills the body, but a rapist kills the soul.”
Any woman who is affected by violence of any form can reach out to the One Stop Centre. Click here to know more about One Stop Centres.
