Laws Against Rape and Sexual Assault
Rape and sexual assault are severe criminal offences with strict punishment including life imprisonment.
🗣️ What this means for you
Any sexual intercourse without consent is rape. This includes situations where consent was obtained through fear, intoxication, or deception. A woman victim can file an FIR at any police station, and her statement must be recorded by a woman police officer. The victim has the right to free medical examination, legal aid, and her identity must be kept confidential.
Step-by-Step Action Plan
Go to a safe place and call 112 (Police) or 181 (Women Helpline) immediately.
Do NOT bathe, wash clothes, or clean up — preserve all physical evidence.
Go to the nearest police station — the FIR MUST be registered, and your statement must be recorded by a woman officer.
You have the right to free medical examination at any hospital. A woman doctor should conduct the examination.
Your identity must be kept confidential — no one can publish your name or photo.
You are entitled to free legal aid — contact the District Legal Services Authority.
Your statement before the Magistrate under BNSS Section 183 is crucial — request time if needed.
The trial must be completed within 2 months from the date of filing of the chargesheet.
⚖️ The Relevant Law
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (2023)
Section 63 to Section 69 — Sexual Offences
"A man is said to commit rape if he penetrates, manipulates, or applies his mouth to a woman's body or makes her do so with him or any other person, under circumstances including against her will, without her consent, with her consent obtained by fear, by impersonation, when she is intoxicated or of unsound mind, or when she is under eighteen years of age."
⚠️ Punishment / Penalty
Rape: rigorous imprisonment not less than 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment (i.e., remainder of natural life), and fine. Gang rape: imprisonment not less than 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment, and fine. Rape of a minor under 12: imprisonment not less than 20 years, extendable to life or death.
Required Documents
- 📄FIR copy
- 📄Medical examination report
- 📄Forensic evidence (clothing, etc.)
- 📄Statement recorded by police
- 📄Identity proof