In view of the rising atrocities and incidents of sex-related crimes against children, the police department in Tirupati has decided to take the message on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to the rural areas by conducting Gram Sabhas.
At a meeting to review the performance of ‘Mahila Mitra’ in the Tirupati Urban police district here on Tuesday, Additional Superintendent of Police (Admin) Anil Babu called the Disha Act a path-breaking initiative and said the cases of sexual assault should be dealt with on a priority basis and with minimum mental disturbance to the victim.
‘Change in mindset needed’
On the change in perspective required in the department while dealing with such sensitive cases, Women’s Initiatives (WINS) secretary R. Meera appealed to the cops to break the stereotype and initiate affirmative action on the culprit, instead of pinning the blame on victim.
“In many cases, the victims are heckled at by the police with a ‘you invited the trouble’ attitude, referring to their attire and social behaviour. Though the offender is known to the victim, the department tends to go soft on the person and targets the victim. This is where we need a course correction in the thought process,” she pointed out.
Taking note, Mr. Anil Babu instructed the Mahila Mitras to reach out to the victim to settle the issue immediately rather than dragging it on. Apart from assuring tighter vigilance on women-related issues, he directed the officials concerned to fast-track such cases and bring culprits to justice within 21 days.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Women) Venkateswara Rao, Circle Inspectors Anju Yadav, Padma Latha and People’s Action for Social Service (PASS) officer Manjula were among those present.
