Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual
intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration perpetrated against a person
without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion,
abuse of authority or against a person who is incapable of valid consent, such
as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, or below the legal age of consent.
The term rape is sometimes used interchangeably with the term sexual assault.
The rate of reporting, prosecuting and convicting for rape varies considerably in different jurisdictions. Internationally, the incidence of rapes recorded by the police during 2010 varied between 0.2 in Azerbaijan per 100,000 people and 92.9 per 100,000 people in Botswana with 6.3 per 100,000 people in Lithuania as the median. According to the American Medical Association (1995), sexual violence, and rape in particular, is considered the most under reported violent crime. Rape by strangers is usually less common than rape by persons the victim knows, and several studies argue that male-on-male and female-on-female prison rapes are common and may be the least reported forms of rape.
- South Africa
The Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses
and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007 is the relevant legislation in South
Africa. Despite the fact that this act provides modern and progressive laws,
that ban rape and other forms of sexual abuse, including sexual violence within
marriage, South Africa remains a country where sexual attacks are common. The
country has some of the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world
with more than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children
reported in 2000, with welfare groups believing that unreported incidents could
be up to 10 times higher. In 2001, a 9-month-old was raped and likely lost
consciousness as the pain was too much to bear. Another 9-month-old baby was
raped by six men, aged between 24 and 66, after the infant had been left
unattended by her teenage mother. A 4-year-old girl died after being raped by
her father. A 14-month-old girl was raped by her two uncles. In February 2002,
an 8-month-old infant was reportedly gang raped by four men. One has been
charged. The infant has required extensive reconstructive surgery. The
8-month-old infant's injuries were so extensive, increased attention on
prosecution has occurred. A significant contributing factor for the escalation
in child abuse is the widespread myth in HIV-ravaged South Africa that having
sex with a virgin will cure a man of AIDS. According to official figures, circa
11% of South Africans are infected with the virus. Edith Kriel, a social worker
who helps child victims in the Eastern Cape, said: "Child abusers are
often relatives of their victims – even their fathers and providers."
One in three of the 4,000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year. More than 25% of South African men questioned in a survey admitted to raping someone; of those, nearly half said they had raped more than one person, according to a new study conducted by the Medical Research Council (MRC). A 2010 study led by the government-funded Medical Research Foundation says that in Gauteng province, more than 37 percent of men said they had raped a woman. Nearly 7 percent of the 487 men surveyed said they had participated in a gang rape. Among children, a survey found 11% of boys and 4% of girls admitted to forcing someone else to have sex with them while in another survey among 1,500 schoolchildren in the Soweto township, a quarter of all the boys interviewed said that 'jack-rolling', a term for gang rape, was fun.
One in three of the 4,000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year. More than 25% of South African men questioned in a survey admitted to raping someone; of those, nearly half said they had raped more than one person, according to a new study conducted by the Medical Research Council (MRC). A 2010 study led by the government-funded Medical Research Foundation says that in Gauteng province, more than 37 percent of men said they had raped a woman. Nearly 7 percent of the 487 men surveyed said they had participated in a gang rape. Among children, a survey found 11% of boys and 4% of girls admitted to forcing someone else to have sex with them while in another survey among 1,500 schoolchildren in the Soweto township, a quarter of all the boys interviewed said that 'jack-rolling', a term for gang rape, was fun.
- Sweden
A frequently cited source when comparing Swedish rape
statistics internationally is the regularly published report by the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), based on official statistics
provided by each member state.In 2012, Sweden had 66 cases of reported rapes
per 100,000 population, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime
Prevention. This was unequivocally the biggest number reported to the UNODC in
2012. However, widely differing legal systems, offence definitions,
terminological variations, recording practices and statistical conventions
makes any cross-national comparison on rape statistics difficult, which is why
the UNODC itself caution against using their figures. It should also be noted
that many countries do not report any rape statistics at all to the UNODC, and
some report very low numbers, despite studies that indicate otherwise.
The Swedish police record each instance of sexual violence in every case separately, leading to an inflated number of cases compared to other countries. Sweden also has a comparatively wide definition of rape. This means that more sexual crimes are registered as rape than in most other countries. For example, in 2005 Sweden reformed its sex crime legislation and made the legal definition of rape much wider, which led to a marked increase in reports. Additionally, the Swedish police have improved the handling of rape cases, in an effort to decrease the number of unreported cases. For this reason, large-scale victimization surveys have been presented by criminologists as a more reliable indicator of rape prevalence. An EU-wide survey on sexual violence against women, published the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2014, placed Sweden below Denmark and Finland, and a previous assessment by Brå have placed Sweden at an average level among European nations.
The Swedish police record each instance of sexual violence in every case separately, leading to an inflated number of cases compared to other countries. Sweden also has a comparatively wide definition of rape. This means that more sexual crimes are registered as rape than in most other countries. For example, in 2005 Sweden reformed its sex crime legislation and made the legal definition of rape much wider, which led to a marked increase in reports. Additionally, the Swedish police have improved the handling of rape cases, in an effort to decrease the number of unreported cases. For this reason, large-scale victimization surveys have been presented by criminologists as a more reliable indicator of rape prevalence. An EU-wide survey on sexual violence against women, published the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2014, placed Sweden below Denmark and Finland, and a previous assessment by Brå have placed Sweden at an average level among European nations.
- USA
A 1997 study on the non-institutionalized, non-military
population by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, which defines rape as
forced penetration by the offender, found that 91% of reported rape victims are
female and 9% are male.
A 2011 report on prison rape by the BJS stated that "in 2008 there were at least 69,800 inmates who were raped under conditions involving force or threat of force, and more than 216,600 total victims of sexual abuse, in America’s prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers."
The majority of rapes in the United States go unreported. The FBI recorded 85,593 rapes in 2010, while the Centers for Disease Control counted nearly 1.3 million incidents in that same year.
Data on the prevalence of rape vary greatly depending on what definition of rape is used. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 1 in 6 U.S. women and 1 in 33 U.S. men has experienced an attempted or completed rape in her or his lifetime. A 2007 study by the National Institute of Justice found that 19.0% of college women and 6.1% of college men experienced either rape or attempted rape since entering college.
A 2011 report on prison rape by the BJS stated that "in 2008 there were at least 69,800 inmates who were raped under conditions involving force or threat of force, and more than 216,600 total victims of sexual abuse, in America’s prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers."
The majority of rapes in the United States go unreported. The FBI recorded 85,593 rapes in 2010, while the Centers for Disease Control counted nearly 1.3 million incidents in that same year.
Data on the prevalence of rape vary greatly depending on what definition of rape is used. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 1 in 6 U.S. women and 1 in 33 U.S. men has experienced an attempted or completed rape in her or his lifetime. A 2007 study by the National Institute of Justice found that 19.0% of college women and 6.1% of college men experienced either rape or attempted rape since entering college.
- England
Rape in the United Kingdom is not a gender neutral offense:
it is an offense that can only be committed by a male against a person. Also
the UK has not to date followed the trend in many countries of classifying acts
other than penetration with a penis (e.g. penetration with an object, finger)
as rape. (Rape statistics United Kingdom). According to the BBC reports, the
number of rapes reported to and recorded by police is at its highest ever
level, increase by 29 percent as overall crime falls in England and Wales.
According to a study by the NSPCC on young people (aged between 13–18), a third of girls and 16 percent of boys have experienced sexual violence and that as many as 250,000 teenage girls are suffering from abuse at any one time. 12 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls reported committing sexual violence against their partners.According to a report entitled “An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales”, released in 2013, by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Home Office; Approximately 85,000 victims of rape per year in England and Wales – 73,000 females and 12,000 males, equating to about 230 cases every day. The report stated that 1 in every 5 women has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. See the full report, a summary and/or the data tables here.
According to a study by the NSPCC on young people (aged between 13–18), a third of girls and 16 percent of boys have experienced sexual violence and that as many as 250,000 teenage girls are suffering from abuse at any one time. 12 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls reported committing sexual violence against their partners.According to a report entitled “An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales”, released in 2013, by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Home Office; Approximately 85,000 victims of rape per year in England and Wales – 73,000 females and 12,000 males, equating to about 230 cases every day. The report stated that 1 in every 5 women has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. See the full report, a summary and/or the data tables here.
- India
Rape in India is one of India's most common crimes against
women. Marital rape that occurs when spouses are living together can only be
dealt under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 which only
provides civil remedies to victims (it is a form of non-criminal domestic
violence). Marital rape is not a criminal offense, except when spouses are separated.Penile
and non-penile penetration in bodily orifices of a woman by a man, without the
consent of the woman, constitutes the offense of rape under the Criminal Law
(Amendment) Act, 2013.
Adjusted for population growth over time, the annual rape rate in India has increased from 1.9 to 2.0 per 100,000 people over 2008-2012 period. This compares to a reported rape rate of 1.2 per 100,000 in Japan, 3.6 per 100,000 in Morocco, 4.6 rapes per 100,000 in Bahrain, 12.3 per 100,000 in Mexico, 24.1 per 100,000 in United Kingdom, 28.6 per 100,000 in United States, 66.5 per 100,000 in Sweden, and world's highest rate of 114.9 rapes per 100,000 in South Africa.
Adjusted for population growth over time, the annual rape rate in India has increased from 1.9 to 2.0 per 100,000 people over 2008-2012 period. This compares to a reported rape rate of 1.2 per 100,000 in Japan, 3.6 per 100,000 in Morocco, 4.6 rapes per 100,000 in Bahrain, 12.3 per 100,000 in Mexico, 24.1 per 100,000 in United Kingdom, 28.6 per 100,000 in United States, 66.5 per 100,000 in Sweden, and world's highest rate of 114.9 rapes per 100,000 in South Africa.
- New Zealand
In 2013, The Roast Busters scandal exposed the truth about
rape in New Zealand. A group of young men from West Auckland, calling
themselves “Roast Busters”, who allegedly sought to intoxicate underage girls
to gang rape them.
According to a report by British medical journal The Lancet sexual assault rate in New Zealand is far higher than the world average. It placed the country at the third highest rate with 16.4 % of its female population, alongside Australia.
According to the Minister of Justice Publication Report; Every two hours an attack involving sexual violence is happening in New Zealand. Statistics now suggest that 1 out of 3 girls and one out of six boys are likely to be sexually abused before the age of 16.
Sexual assaults rose 15% in a year, and at schools the number doubled. Only 9 percent of sexual offenses are reported (registered by police) in New Zealand. Of all the reported cases, only 13% end in a conviction. 91 % of the rapes either go unreported, or the victims are intimidated by the police to drop complaints.
According to a report by British medical journal The Lancet sexual assault rate in New Zealand is far higher than the world average. It placed the country at the third highest rate with 16.4 % of its female population, alongside Australia.
According to the Minister of Justice Publication Report; Every two hours an attack involving sexual violence is happening in New Zealand. Statistics now suggest that 1 out of 3 girls and one out of six boys are likely to be sexually abused before the age of 16.
Sexual assaults rose 15% in a year, and at schools the number doubled. Only 9 percent of sexual offenses are reported (registered by police) in New Zealand. Of all the reported cases, only 13% end in a conviction. 91 % of the rapes either go unreported, or the victims are intimidated by the police to drop complaints.
- Canada
In Canadian colonies, rape was an offense at common law. The
conceptualization of rape was based on English common law understanding of this
offense. English legal precedent was very important. Canada got its first
statutory definition of rape in 1892, under the 1892 Criminal Code, which read:
"Rape is the act of a man having carnal knowledge of a woman who is not
his wife without her consent, or with consent which has been extorted by
threats or fear of bodily harm, or obtained by personating the woman’s husband,
or by false and fraudulent representations as to the nature and quality of the
act." A boy under 14 could not be convicted of rape. The rape law remained
virtually unchanged until 1983, when the criminal offense of "rape"
was abolished and replaced by three sexual assault offenses. Unlike the previous
rape offense, the sexual assault offenses are applicable in marriage and are
gender neutral. These three offenses are:
Sexual assault
Sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm
Aggravated sexual assault.
Sexual assault
Sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm
Aggravated sexual assault.
- Australia
Non-consensual sexual penetration is termed "Rape"
in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania; "Sexual
Assault" in New South Wales; "Sexual intercourse without
consent" in the ACT and the Northern Territory; "Sexual penetration
without consent" in Western Australia. All these offenses are gender
neutral and applicable in marriage. The laws in Australia have evolved from the
English common law offense of rape, but have gradually changed, especially in
the late 20th century.
In Australia the reported rape rate per 100,000 people is relatively high, although it is in a decreasing trend, coming down from 91.6 in the year 2003 to 28.6 in 2010. This stands in contrast to reported rape rate of 1.2 per 100,000 in Japan, 1.8 per 100,000 in India, 4.6 rapes per 100,000 in Bahrain, 12.3 per 100,000 in Mexico, 24.1 per 100,000 in United Kingdom, 28.6 per 100,000 in United States, 66.5 per 100,000 in Sweden, and world's highest rate of 114.9 rapes per 100,000 in South Africa.
In Australia the reported rape rate per 100,000 people is relatively high, although it is in a decreasing trend, coming down from 91.6 in the year 2003 to 28.6 in 2010. This stands in contrast to reported rape rate of 1.2 per 100,000 in Japan, 1.8 per 100,000 in India, 4.6 rapes per 100,000 in Bahrain, 12.3 per 100,000 in Mexico, 24.1 per 100,000 in United Kingdom, 28.6 per 100,000 in United States, 66.5 per 100,000 in Sweden, and world's highest rate of 114.9 rapes per 100,000 in South Africa.
- Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is at 9th position with
maximum rape rates. At least one woman is raped every 90 minutes in Zimbabwe.
According to the latest statistics by Zimbabwe National Statistics (ZimStat),
500 women were sexually abused monthly – about 16 women being raped daily.
A total of 1 524 cases were reported during the first 3 months of the year, up from 1 285 recorded in the same period last year. Of these reported case, 780 are children (ages from 11 to 16 years) while 276 were children aged between 5 and 10 years. However, there are fears that the number could be higher as some cases go unreported.
According to UNICEF, Child rape up 42 percent in Zimbabwe. It said the number of cases of rape of minors reported to police surged from 2,192 in 2010 to 3,112 in 2014. Many other cases likely went unreported in a climate of secrecy and denial.
A total of 1 524 cases were reported during the first 3 months of the year, up from 1 285 recorded in the same period last year. Of these reported case, 780 are children (ages from 11 to 16 years) while 276 were children aged between 5 and 10 years. However, there are fears that the number could be higher as some cases go unreported.
According to UNICEF, Child rape up 42 percent in Zimbabwe. It said the number of cases of rape of minors reported to police surged from 2,192 in 2010 to 3,112 in 2014. Many other cases likely went unreported in a climate of secrecy and denial.
- Finland And Denmark
Although only approximately 500 rapes are reported to the
Danish police annually, several studies estimate that only a small minority of
all rapes are actually reported, and only one in five reported rapes result in
a conviction in court.For example, according to a 2014 study published by the
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Denmark had the highest
prevalence rate of physical and sexual violence against women in Europe.
The Danish government was harshly criticized for inadequate laws in regard to sexual violence in a 2008 report produced by Amnesty International. The Danish criminal provisions regarding sexual crimes had remained nearly unchanged for 30 years, which lead Amnesty International to declare that "legislation on rape and sexual violence [conflicted] with human rights principles concerning the need to protect an individual's sexual and physical integrity and right to self-determination." The organization repeatedly urged Denmark to bring legislation on rape in line with international law over several years, which lead to an amendment to the sexual offenses code in 2013, following a change in government after the 2011 elections.
In Finland, the legal regulations on sexual offenses were revised with a law that came into effect on 1. January 1999. Under this revision, sexual offenses were divided into three levels: rape, aggravated rape and forcing someone into a sexual act. The revision also affects the cause of action. The law on rape states that:
A person who forces another into sexual intercourse by the use or threat of violence shall be sentenced for rape to imprisonment for at least one year and at most six years.
Also a person who, by taking advantage of the fact that another person, due to unconsciousness, illness, disability, state of fear or other state of helplessness, is unable to defend himself or herself or to formulate or express his or her will, has sexual intercourse with him or her, shall be sentenced for rape.
The Finnish government does not produce data on rape on a regular basis, beyond the raw numbers of reported rape to Finnish police. The laws and guidelines have been criticized for not making specific reference to "consent" and for offering the possibility of mediation between the victim and perpetrator. Specific information on women victims of rape can be found only from separate studies, the last one made in 2004, and that study was based on reported rape offenses during the years 1998–1999. The study showed that of 468 rapes or attempted rapes reported to the police, only 47 rape charges were made, or that merely 10 per cent of the rapes reported to the police lead to a prosecution. In most cases the rape victim and the offender knew each other, only in every fourth case was the woman attacked by a stranger. Almost half the rape occurred among acquaintances (corresponding to a date rape), and intimate or family relations were involved in 13 per cent of the cases.
The Danish government was harshly criticized for inadequate laws in regard to sexual violence in a 2008 report produced by Amnesty International. The Danish criminal provisions regarding sexual crimes had remained nearly unchanged for 30 years, which lead Amnesty International to declare that "legislation on rape and sexual violence [conflicted] with human rights principles concerning the need to protect an individual's sexual and physical integrity and right to self-determination." The organization repeatedly urged Denmark to bring legislation on rape in line with international law over several years, which lead to an amendment to the sexual offenses code in 2013, following a change in government after the 2011 elections.
In Finland, the legal regulations on sexual offenses were revised with a law that came into effect on 1. January 1999. Under this revision, sexual offenses were divided into three levels: rape, aggravated rape and forcing someone into a sexual act. The revision also affects the cause of action. The law on rape states that:
A person who forces another into sexual intercourse by the use or threat of violence shall be sentenced for rape to imprisonment for at least one year and at most six years.
Also a person who, by taking advantage of the fact that another person, due to unconsciousness, illness, disability, state of fear or other state of helplessness, is unable to defend himself or herself or to formulate or express his or her will, has sexual intercourse with him or her, shall be sentenced for rape.
The Finnish government does not produce data on rape on a regular basis, beyond the raw numbers of reported rape to Finnish police. The laws and guidelines have been criticized for not making specific reference to "consent" and for offering the possibility of mediation between the victim and perpetrator. Specific information on women victims of rape can be found only from separate studies, the last one made in 2004, and that study was based on reported rape offenses during the years 1998–1999. The study showed that of 468 rapes or attempted rapes reported to the police, only 47 rape charges were made, or that merely 10 per cent of the rapes reported to the police lead to a prosecution. In most cases the rape victim and the offender knew each other, only in every fourth case was the woman attacked by a stranger. Almost half the rape occurred among acquaintances (corresponding to a date rape), and intimate or family relations were involved in 13 per cent of the cases.
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