Kerala records rise in suicides, rapes

Thursday March 8 2007 19:03 IST

IANS

T’PURAM: Kerala has witnessed increased suicides (to 9,244), rapes (478) and violence against women (8,087 cases) while dowry-related deaths recorded a downswing, says a new report here.

According to the Economic Review released in the Kerala Assembly on Thursday, atrocities against women in India's most literate state went up from 7,228 cases in 2003 to 8,087 in 2005 - as recorded by the State Crime Records Bureau.

Of these crimes, 3,283 were committed by husbands or relatives, the report said. Rape cases, which stood at 394 in 2003, added up to 478 in 2005. Molestation cases went up from 1,947 to 2,339, and - for a change - dowry deaths went down from 33 to 21.

The total number of suicides in the state went up from 9,053 in 2004 to 9,244 in 2005, said the report.

Of these, 6,830 were males and 2,414 were females with the capital district leading with 1,257 suicides, followed by Kollam with 1,128 as Kasargode district brought up the rear with 267 suicides.

Coming to the circumstances leading to suicide, 2,649 people (1,982 men and 667 women) took their lives due to family problems while 1,395 (929 men and 466 women) killed themselves due to insanity/mental illness. At least 1,346 people (934 men and 412 women) took the fatal step because of illness, added the report.