Cases of domestic violence, cybercrime rose in India’s lockdown | Quartz India

During the COVID-19 lockdown in India, domestic violence cases increased, while rape and sexual assault cases fell. Quartz India covers a working paper co-authored by CEGA affiliated professor Manisha Shah, suggesting the shift in crimes against women is a result of decreased mobility.

“With Indians under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, crimes against women didn’t stop—they just changed.

There was a significant increase in domestic violence complaints and cybercrime complaints in May 2020 in Indian districts that saw the strictest lockdown measures (red zones) relative to districts that saw the least strict measures (green zones), the analysis of complaints received by the National Commission for Women (NCW) has revealed.

Meanwhile, rape and sexual assault complaints fell, ‘likely due to decreased mobility in public spaces, public transport, and workplaces,’ the study by researchers from University of California Los Angeles noted.

‘Women face a portfolio of danger and policies such as lockdowns can improve certain types of violence outcomes while exacerbating others,’ said Manisha Shah, study’s co-author and professor of public policy at UCLA.”

Source: Cases of domestic violence, cybercrime rose in India’s lockdown — Quartz India