Towards Victim Friendly Responses and Procedures For Prosecuting Rape: A Study of Pre-Trial and Trial Stages of Rape Prosecutions in Delhi (Jan 2014-March 2015)

Abstract

This study was conducted against the backdrop of what can be termed as a paradigm shift in the law relating to sexual assault. In many ways, Delhi occupies a distinctive position in the journey of rape law reform. The city’s streets witnessed outrage led by youth as well as a cross section of society post-December 2012, creating the momentum for passage of the law reforms of 2013. The ambit of this study was limited to examining compliance with legislative, judicial and executive guidelines. Accordingly, the study sought to examine the extent to which the procedural reform and victim friendly provisions were in fact being implemented, and in this regard, what were the challenges and good practices. Further, it sought to identify gaps in the existing responses to sexual assault, through ascertaining needs of victims and by drawing upon model responses from comparative jurisdictions.