To be effective, policies on sexual violence against women must be evidence-based. In India, the National Crime Records Bureau publishes crime statistics based on first information reports. These constitute a useful summary, but do not provide policymakers the understanding to formulate a crime-fighting strategy. A national crime victimisation survey would supplement the NCRB data with critical inputs. Survey data could be used to further research in criminology and police reforms, assess the impact of punitive measures such as of the death penalty on the crime rate, and make informed decisions on legalising offences such as marital rape.
