Five years after shocking gang rape, rapid response unit aims to combat assault and harassment in India’s crowded capitalDelhi’s police force has created an all-female motorcycle squad in an attempt to tackle rising crime against women, particularly in the city’s narrow alleyways. It is hoped that their presence will deter offenders and reassure women, who led protests against sexual assault five years ago after a brutal gang rape in Delhi. Research released this month found that women who report such crimes are still routinely harassed by police or bullied into silence. “Because they will zip through narrow lanes and have GPS, they will have a faster response time than patrol vans. Delhi’s high court has ordered the city’s police force to develop a strategy to tackle crime against women, after repeated failures to curb cases.

Source: The Guardian November 22, 2017 00:33 UTC