Cybercrime continues to plague women

• In September alone, PCSW received 979 complaints.
• 15,895 applicants out of 40,280 since November 2020 did not want to continue the case
• Currently, 41% of complaints are related to the publication of fake images with personal information.
• The absence of witnesses delayed the trial; out-of-court settlement resulted in unsatisfactory conviction

Neela Akter (name changed), a housewife, received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number last week.

The sender demanded money after sending her personal photos of herself, saying he would share them with her relatives and on social media if she refused to pay the amount.

Shocked and confused, Neela insisted that she not share the photos with anyone and that they were kept only on her mobile phone. She immediately lodged a general diary and complaint with Police Cyber ​​Support for Women (PCSW) at Police Headquarters.

As a result of an operational investigation, the police managed to detain the suspect. Investigators said the suspect – a courier – managed to gain access to Nila’s phone during the delivery of the goods.

He claimed that he needed to check the one-time password (OTP). When he got his hands on her phone, he managed to get Neela’s email account information and therefore gain access to her cloud storage.

Neela’s case is just one of thousands as women increasingly become victims of cybercrime. Although many women report or file complaints, the frequency of such incidents still appears to be increasing.

However, many are reluctant to file complaints due to pressure from family or society. Some even withdraw cases out of fear and shame.

Law enforcement officials say the lack of follow-up on these cases gives offenders the opportunity to avoid legal consequences.

Legal experts, however, say the system lacks victim-focused support and specialized lawyers to handle such cases, further discouraging women from seeking justice.

PCSW data shows a noticeable increase in the number of complaints.

At least 630 complaints were filed in August alone, with the number rising to 979 the following month.

Since the establishment of PSG on November 16, 2020, until September 30 this year, 40,280 complaints have been registered.

From November 16, 2020 to November 15, 2022, PCSW received 22,304 complaints. From November 16, 2022 to September 30 this year, a further 17,976 complaints were filed.

Of the total number of applicants, 15,895 chose not to continue their legal battles following the PCSW’s initial intervention and arrests of the suspects.

Enamul Haque Sagor, Assistant Inspector General, Headquarters, told The Daily Star: “Many victims refrain from filing complaints or legal proceedings due to social pressure and fear of public exposure. Criminals exploit this fear, which is why these crimes continue.

“We are fully committed to supporting victims and resolving these cases within the bounds of the law… But victims need to speak out.”

The PCSW database indicates that 41 percent of complaints involve harassment through fake images and personal information posted on social media; 18 percent involved hacking of social media accounts; another 18 percent involved blackmail with objectionable photographs; and nine percent involve creating fake social media profiles with victims’ photos and personal information.

Lata Begum (name changed) recently came across a Facebook profile using her photos and details. The profile featured various pornographic photographs with an image of her face superimposed on them. She also filed a complaint with PCSW.

Khairuzzaman Dalim and Rasel Molla were then arrested and investigators said those arrested were her neighbors who did so following a land dispute with the victim’s family.

Human rights activist and lawyer Salma Ali told The Daily Star that there is no accountability or proper monitoring for crimes against women occurring in cyberspace.

“Victims do not come forward because there is no victim-focused support. They become victims even while filing complaints,” she said, adding that the police and legal system also lack qualified personnel to deal with such cases.

“Lawyers (here) do not have that kind of experience as such cases require different types of evidence to secure a conviction in a trial,” said Salma, also executive director of the National Association of Women Lawyers of Bangladesh.

She went on to say that the legal process takes a long time and “as they say, justice delayed is justice denied.”

The Dhaka Cyber ​​Tribunal was able to deliver verdicts in only 213 cases out of 2,141 filed between 2014 and 2022, according to judicial sources.

Of these, defendants in 162 cases were acquitted by December 2022. At least 1,600 cases were pending before the Dhaka Cyber ​​Tribunal till September this year, the sources added.

On the delay in trial and poor conviction, Rafiqul Islam, prosecutor at the Dhaka Cyber ​​Tribunal, told this correspondent: “One of the main reasons for the delay in trial and poor conviction is that witnesses did not appear in court. in many cases, victims reach out-of-court settlements.”

However, he said he did not believe there was a shortage of experienced lawyers to handle cybercrime cases. “We now have experienced lawyers in court,” adding that steps are being taken to resolve all cases at the earliest.