1,417 cases of serious crimes have been reported in Tajikistan over the first three months of this year (a 2.2 percent reduction compared to the same period last year), according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the number of rape cases reported over the reporting period has increased by 11.1 percent compared to January-March last year.
10 rape cases have been reported in the country over the first three of this year, one case more compared to the same period last year.
Tajik lawyer Navrouz Odinayev says the increase in the reported numbers of such crimes has resulted from introduction of a new crime registration system in the country.
“If earlier police could refuse registration of a crime for some reasons, while now all crimes are registered, and only then during the investigation they are eliminated. This is where the rise in crime rates comes from,” Odinayev noted.
According to him, with introduction of this system into operation, registration of all crimes in the country will increase at least by 2.0 percent.
Rape cases are rarely solved as the relatives of the victims themselves are trying to hide the facts, being afraid of public opinion.
Thus, Tajik ombudsman told reporters that 16 cases of rape of minors were reported last year, while the Ombudsman received applications over four criminal cases.
Commenting on rape cases reported last year, which were written about in the media, sociologist Alla Kuvatova has noted in an interview with Asia-Plus that there are many facts of rape and growth may be due to insufficient measures to prevent any form of violence against women, including minors.
According to her, existing laws, including the law on preventing domestic violence, do not work as protective mechanisms
“The growth of such crimes is also influenced by the legal illiteracy of citizens, that is victims do not understand the laws, do not know about their rights. There is a more difficult problem — those who commit such acts are not afraid of responsibility, while victims, on the contrary, are afraid of publicity, deprecation, stigma and discrimination, and therefore, they remain silent,” she said.
According to her, “such cases are not covered even in the media and public organizations have begun to interact less to prevent such crimes.”
“To reduce the incidence of such crimes it is necessary, first of all, to tighten the law,” the sociologist added.
