The myth called ‘perfect victim’
The Bombay High Court's conviction of Tarun Tejpal for rape has brought the sociological concept of the 'perfect victim' into the spotlight. The court criticized the trial court for relying on outdated stereotypes about how a victim should behave, highlighting how societal biases influence legal outcomes.
Why it matters
Addresses critical issues regarding gender justice, legal bias, and the sociological barriers victims face in the justice system.
O n August 6, the Goa Division Bench of the Bombay High Court set aside the 2021 judgment of the trial court that had acquitted Tarun Tejpal. The High Court convicted Tejpal, the former editor of Tehelka magazine, and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a former colleague.
While terming the trial court’s ruling “perverse”, the High Court also said that it had fallen for the notion that a sexual assault complainant must be a ‘perfect victim’ and conduct herself in a certain way to appear credible.
What is the idea of a ‘perfect victim’ or an ‘ideal victim’? It was theorised by Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie in a chapter of the same name, in the book From Crime Policy to Victim Policy , in 1986.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in