Panaji: Goa police statistics have revealed that on average, the state sees four women raped or sexually assaulted every week. From 2021 to 2025, a total of 922 women — aged between five and 70 — were either raped or sexually assaulted.Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that investigating officers are regularly briefed and debriefed to strictly adhere to the mandatory provisions contained in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), during investigations. Scientific methods of investigation are utilised with the assistance of the Goa forensic science laboratory, he said.“Cases ending in acquittal, along with issues highlighted in the judgements, are thoroughly analysed to identify areas for improvement in investigation and to enhance the conviction rate,” said Sawant, who is also the home minister.Sawant said that training programmes are conducted for Goa police personnel in coordination with the bureau of police research and development (BPR&D) to enhance their investigation skills and improve the quality of investigations, thereby contributing to a higher conviction rate.“Regular crime meetings are conducted to monitor the progress of pending investigations, and necessary instructions are issued to the IOs to ensure effective and timely handling of cases,” he said.According to police, Goa’s crime rate stands at 5.2% for rape cases and 8.1% for Pocso cases when compared to the national average.Police said that higher reporting and registration of offences in Goa reflects greater public awareness, easier access to police mechanisms, and increased public confidence in approaching law enforcement agencies.“It is pertinent to note that a majority of cases registered under rape-related offences involve situations where the accused and survivor are known to each other, cases of alleged rape on the pretext of marriage, consensual relationship disputes that later result in complaints, as well as elopement-related matters involving minors under legal provisions,” said police.
