Rape in public space in Delhi (India): Victims' experiences and legal responses

Programa de Doutoramento: Sociologia do Estado, do Direito e da Justiça

This research examines the lived experiences of rape survivors in public spaces in Delhi in the aftermath of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2013, introduced following the Nirbhaya case. The study investigates how survivors experience violence, navigate reporting procedures, and interact with legal institutions, with particular attention to how intersecting identities such as caste, class, and gender shape access to justice and institutional responses.

The research adopts a qualitative methodology centered on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with survivors of sexual violence in public spaces. Through purposive sampling, the study seeks to include diverse participants, particularly Dalit women, working-class women, and trans women, whose experiences are often marginalized in dominant legal and feminist narratives. Interviews will be conducted using trauma-informed and survivor-centered approaches, ensuring confidentiality and ethical safeguards.

Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis guided by intersectionality, critical class theory, transfeminism, and post-colonial feminist perspectives. The study also engages with legal documents, policy reports, and institutional materials to contextualize survivors' narratives within broader socio-legal frameworks.

The research aims to contribute theoretically to intersectional feminist scholarship and empirically to understanding sexual violence in urban public spaces. It seeks to identify gaps between legal protections and survivors' lived realities, offering insights for policy reform and survivor-centered justice approaches.