NECROPHILIA: DEFILING THE DIGNITY OF THE DEAD: AN ANALYSIS FROM LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

The fantasy regarding corpses have often influenced the prominent works of literature in one way or another such as in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare when Juliet kissed Romeo’s dead body in the name of eternal love to the sleeping beauty, a fairy tale with a hidden dark tragedy as a backdrop.2 These sexual fetishes and fantasies regarding corpses are predominant in the real world too and are termed as “necrophilia,” a psychosexual disorder. Necrophilia is a centuries-old concept but it still has its roots embedded in the world of law and order where the rights such as the right to life and liberty prevail. The offence of Necrophilia is criminalized in various countries across the world but no such legislation or precedents exists in the context of India. Moreover, the rights of the dead are only pertinent in its limited aspect. The research paper delves deep into the current legal status of Necrophilia in India while exploring its history, causes and classification.

Keywords: Necrophilia, psychosexual disorder, paraphilia, law, sexually abuse and criminalization