Police Registration of Sexual Offences: A Guide on Procedures and Holding Police Accountable

Studies and real experiences reveal that survivors and victims of sexual offences hesitate to approach the police out of trauma, fear, or being morally judged. Their experience is often made worse by police either delaying or refusing to register complaints of sexual violence. The law makes it mandatory for the police to register all cases of sexual violence that they receive. When they refuse, they violate the survivors’ right to seek justice, the law and their duty. This leads to cases getting compromised, seriously delayed, or even lost at the very start of the legal process.

 Presented as “Frequently Asked Questions”, this guide is designed to assist survivors of sexual violence, and anyone helping them, at the first stage of the legal process - in reporting offences and seeking their registration by the police. If their complaints are refused at the police station, it informs them of remedies to get these registered. It points to steps that can be taken to hold the police accountable for delay or refusal to register in certain cases.

 This guide is also available in Hindi, Marathi and Assamese.

Information on procedures for reporting offences, registration by the police, and remedies in instances of police refusal and failure to register is also available in the following videos: