Woman killed over dowry 'every hour' in India

A woman is killed every hour in India because her family failed to meet her husband and in-laws' demands for higher dowry payments and lavish gifts. Official figures from India's National Crime Records Bureau reveal that 8,233 young women, many of them new brides, were killed in so-called 'dowry deaths' in 2012. The report comes amid growing concern over the level of violence against women following the Delhi gang rape case last December. The number of deaths is marginally less than in 2011, but reflects a broader increase in gender violence. While dowry deaths fell slightly from 8618 to 8233, the number of cases of cruelty committed by husbands and their relatives increased significantly from 99,135 in 2011 to 106,527 last year. Many of the cruelty cases are believed to be dowry-related and many dowry killings are preceded by cruelty by the husband and in-laws.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10280802/Woman-killed-over-dowry-every-hour-in-India.html