The brutal gang rape of a physiotherapy student in a moving bus has provoked the ire of women rights activities, who blame long trials and low rate of conviction for the emboldening of anti-social elements.

“The incident is horrendous and the fact that it has happened in an area like Munirka and Vasant Vihar is a reflection of the law and order in the city. The law-and-order apparatus in big cities should be preventive rather than reactionary. The police react only after an incident has occurred,” says Ranjana Kumari, director of Centre for Social Research.

“There is no community police patrolling or mapping of unsafe areas. Miscreants pick up anyone. What sense of security are we talking about?” adds Kumari.

“Forget conviction, police take their own time to register cases of rape and molestation,” says Mamta Sharma, chairperson of National Commission for Women. “What makes things worse is the slow judicial process, where cases go on for years and witnesses tend to become hostile. Delayed justice is also injustice,” adds Sehba Farooqui, secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association (Delhi).

Experts and activists saythe need of the hour is to expedite pending cases so that faster convictions are possible. A change in mindset is also needed. “Sexual harassment and violence in public spaces must not be tolerated,” says UN Women South Asia’s regional programme director Anne F Stenhammer.

A 2010 study by Jagori and UN Women in 2010 reveals that 54% women and 69% men who see women getting harassed prefer to not get involved.

Farooqui says the issue to address at the moment is the urbanization that is happening from nearby villages. “This new class neither qualifies as the upper strata, nor the employed or rural classes,” she says. “They have the money to throw around and most of these crimes are a result of adventures and the use of muscle power,” she adds.

And finally, Sharma says, young men should be taught from the beginning to respect women and their mothers.