Criminalization of marital rape in India

Hearings have begun in the Delhi High Court to criminalize marital rape. Before that, under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, a rapist was exempted from punishment if the crime occurred within the framework of marital relations.

The enforcement of the law, which began when India was a British colony, has in the past few years sparked heated public controversy and anger from human rights organizations.

Activist Anja Vig commented on the trial, “Rape is a crime, no matter where or when it happens. We live in the twenty-first century and marriage should no longer be seen as a union of unequal.”

At the same time, reports indicate that in 2021, the number of rape cases in Delhi increased by 20%.