NEW DELHI: Cases of crimes against women rose marginally by 0.7% in 2023 to 4.48 lakh from 4.45 lakh in 2022. As in past years, ‘cruelty by husband or relatives’ accounted for the largest share at 29.8% (1.33 lakh cases) involving 1.35 lakh victims, according to NCRB’s Crime in India 2023 report. In 2022, this category under IPC section 498A made up 31.4% of all such crimes.This was followed by ‘kidnapping and abduction of women’ with over 88,000 cases (20%), ‘assault on women with intent to outrage modesty’ with over 83,800 cases (19%), and 66,200 cases (14.8%) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The crime rate per lakh women population was 66.2 in 2023 compared with 66.4 in 2022, which itself had risen from 64.5 in 2021. The overall chargesheeting rate stood at 77.6%.The NCRB reported 29,670 rape cases and 29,909 victims in 2023, with 10,703 cases pending from 2022. In 2022, there were 31,516 rape cases involving 31,982 victims, including 1,017 below 18. In 2023, 852 victims were below 18 — 18 under six years, 87 between six and 12, 284 between 12 and 16, and 463 between 16 and 18. Among adults, the maximum 19,751 victims were between 18 and 30 years, followed by 8,275 between 30 and 45, 961 between 45 and 60, and 70 above 70.The report listed 230 cases of murder with rape/gangrape involving 233 victims in 2023. Uttar Pradesh topped with 33 cases, followed by 29 each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and 20 in Rajasthan. There were 248 such cases in 2022 and 284 in 2021.Overall, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest crimes against women at 66,381, followed by Maharashtra (47,101), Rajasthan (45,450), West Bengal (34,738) and Madhya Pradesh (32,342). Delhi reported 13,439 cases, the highest rate in the country at 133.6, far above the national average of 66.2.