New Delhi: As many as 32,559 rapes were reported in India in 2017 and the accused were known to the victims in 93.1% of the cases, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released on Monday said.

According to the report, of the 30,299 such cases, the accused were members of the victim’s family in 3,155. As many as 16,591 rape cases were against “family friends”, employers, neighbours or other known persons. In 10,553 cases, the accused were friends, online friends, live-in partners or separated husbands of the victims.

The maximum number of rape cases — 5,562 — in 2017 were lodged in Madhya Pradesh, 97.5 percent of which were committed by known persons. Rajasthan followed with 3,305 cases, 87.9 percent of which were committed by known persons.

In Maharashtra, 98.1 percent rape cases were against friends, associates or relatives. All 40 rape cases recorded in Manipur were against persons known to the victim.

The numbers are part of disturbing statistics on rapes and sexual offences committed by people known to victims. In 2018, researchers at Glasgow University studied the cases of 991 women in Scotland who had faced sexual assault and rape. The study found that 90 percent of the offenders were known to the victim in various capacities such as boyfriend/lover/husband, family, employer, neighbour or associate.

Apart from rape, 8,876 cases of ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ were filed across 19 major cities in India. The country also recorded 4,154 rapes.

However, the numbers show a decrease from NCRB's 2015 data which had said that perpetrators in almost 95 percent of rapes that year were familiar persons.