The Impact of Rape on Rape Victims and the Characteristics of Rapists in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, the women were regularly protected in the past by their family members and the comminity. But owing to the modernization and social changesin the country,the status previously enjoyed by womenspecially as regards to their protection has changed. Within this senario as men, the womentoo have started movingmostly alone in the society.In consequence some men seek sexual gratification in socially unaccepted manners. Thus, the rape of women has increased rapidly for the last two decade. The rape rate has plunged forwards from 6.8 in 2001 to 8.2 to in 2019. The increse in the number of rape incidents in the country has created a real conundrum for women as well as for the peaceful existance of the whole society. This study was carried out with the objective of identifying the nature and causes of rapes and the impact of rapes on the victimsin the society at large. Further, the nature of the rapists was also amain concern of this study. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviewes and case studies with 60 victimes of rape, selected from twelve districts consisting of 3 to 8 victimes from each district in Sri Lanka. The study has revealed that less educated women between 16 to 25 years of age haveoften becom victims of rape than in the other age categories. However, thewomen over 65 years of age had become victims. The mentally retarted and the disabled women have often been the easy praysfor rapists and those who were alone at home during the day time also had become the victims of rape. Of the perpetrators 85% were known to the victims and their relatives, their lovers and neighbours had also been found among them. Ignorance,deception, loneliness and isolation at home, walking alone shady roads, physical or mental disabiltities were the main casuses to have fallen victims of rape.Among the perpetrators 20%(n=12) were alcohol abusers while 13.3% (n=8) were drugs and alcohol abusers. The study suggests that the provision of proper protection for women who walk alongthe solitary roads and the women who stay all alone at home minimize the number of rape victims. Further young women should be educated with respect to the impact of forced sexual intercourse and deception by men for their mere sexual gratifiction.