article_snippet: It is a very, very shameful act, first of all, to rape any woman, any female," Father Dominic Emmanuel of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said in televised comments.
article_snippet: A series of rape cases involving girls, foreign tourists and a physiology student who died following a brutal gang rape in 2012 has hurt India's international reputation.
article_snippet: Crowds have taken to Indian streets to protest against rape.
article_snippet: Despite such action, India continues to see episodes of sexual violence.
article_snippet: Anti-rape activists complained when the Indian government restricted the showing of a BBC documentary about rape that included comments from one of five men.
article_snippet: Official data in India show that rape cases have jumped almost 875% over the past 40 years -- from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011.
article_snippet: But campaigners say sexual assaults are underreported because of stigma and cultural factors.
article_snippet: Experts say the causes of the high number of rapes include the nation's patriarchy, widespread poverty and lack of law enforcement in rural areas.
highlights_snippet: A series of publicized rapes have occurred in India in recent years .