Someone sent me a v problematic article in The Hindu titled "83% drop in rape cases in Delhi during lockdown" by Hemani Bhandari which is a clickbait that makes it seem like rapes have reduced, when they're just going unreported. Issues with this piece go beyond the title,THREAD:

The article mentions statements by police officers and out of context ones by Delhi Commission for Women explaining a drop in the *reported* rape cases. It does not include any counter statements from women's organisations. So I'm going to refute these claims one by one here -

1. Senior police officer: "reason of decline is that one of the major reasons of crime being committed is sudden provocation which is a rare possibility at this time."
A big misconception about rape is that it is provoked. Rape is about power, it is NEVER provoked by any victim.

2. "no public transport for men to interact with women plays a major role in reduction of crime."
Most rapes don't happen in public spaces by strangers on buses, but at home by known ppl. Most violent space for women is home. Marital rape is legal & not counted in reported rapes.

3. "cases of domestic violence have not increased during the time when men and women are at home."
When women are locked up with abusers who control their phone, how will they report? It doesnt mean there's "decline in crime against women as social distancing keeps crime at bay".

On the other hand, those of us who are in touch with survivors and grassroots women's organisations know very well that violence against women has INCREASED during lockdown as women are being forced to share the same space for extended periods with their abusive husbands. +

+ But it's hard for women to report the crimes because they can't go to a police station during lockdown. Many husbands usually also control women's phones, so women are unable to make calls to report. Women are literally trapped. This is a msg I received here during lockdown: