A 72-year-old man from France, Dominique Pelicot, was convicted of drugging his wife, Gisele Pelicot, and allowing men to rape her repeatedly over a decade.

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Pelicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years on December 19, 2024, in a case that sparked global outrage over sexual violence.

50 other men were also convicted in the case. Speaking in court, Gisele said, “The profile of a rapist is not someone met in a car park late at night. A rapist can also be in the family, among our friends.”

While the details of the case have horrified people worldwide, it is not the only instance of violence against women that has made headlines in 2024.

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Kolkata doctor rape case

In the east Indian state of West Bengal, mass protests erupted after a young doctor was found murdered in the lecture hall at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Also read: ‘A big conspiracy?’ Report finds no evidence of ‘struggle, resistance’ at Kolkata RG Kar rape scene

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She had allegedly been sexually assaulted and tortured before being murdered.

A civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, was arrested after the incident, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later took over the case.

The case brought to the surface the anger over women’s safety in India, echoing the widespread protests following the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, which became famous as the 'Nirbhaya (fearless) case'.

Although harsher laws were introduced in India after the 2012 incident, there has been little evidence that these laws have reduced sexual violence.

Government data shows that in 2022, over 31,000 cases of rape were reported in India, equating to 85 rapes per day.

Conviction rates for rape cases have remained low in the country, ranging between 27 per cent and 28 per cent from 2018 to 2022.

Crime against women in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban have been accused of using sexual violence as a tool of oppression.

Also read: Afghan women 'banned from midwife and nurse education' in Taliban's new decree: Report

As per a recent report, a human rights activist who fled the country after being raped and tortured in prison was sent a video of her assault as an intimidation tactic.

The video later made headlines and highlighted the crime against women taking place in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Rape being used as a weapon of war in conflict zones

Violence against women has also been reported in conflict zones. In Sudan, a civil war has led to widespread sexual violence.

Human Rights Watch reported that the Rapid Support Forces have raped multiple women and girls, with some used as sex slaves. A recent investigation documented the cases of 79 survivors aged 7 to 50.

Also read: Pope Francis, for the first time, labels Israel's actions in Gaza as 'genocide'; calls for investigation

The United Nations reported nearly 3,700 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2023, with 95% of the victims being women and girls. Of these cases, 32% involved children, mostly girls, and 21 incidents targeted LGBTQI individuals.

"In the Sudan and Haiti, women and girls are being brutalized and terrorized by sexual violence committed at gunpoint. In Afghanistan, the systematic assault on, and erasure of, women and their rights is destroying lives and livelihoods. Two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of displaced and refugee women and girls face a heightened risk of being preyed upon by traffickers,” said Pramila Patten, the UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict while presenting the report on 23 April 2024.

In the Middle East, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the ongoing bloodshed, displacement, trauma, and terror, she added.

Also read: Multiple OnlyFans accounts with suspected child sexual abuse material: Report

According to the UN, women and children were among the victims of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. In 2024, they are more than half of the victims of Israel's invasion of Gaza.

The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink, with survivors of gender-based violence, pregnant women, and others in desperate need with nowhere to turn, Patten pointed out.

These reports of sexual violence against women in 2024 show a harsh global reality. Sadly, they are just the visible surface of a far deeper crisis, with many more cases hidden by fear and societal stigma. These incidents show the urgent need to address the root causes and ensure accountability.

(With inputs from agencies)