22.6.11

Indian Express


Training for cops to deal with sexual abuse victims

For a victim of sexual abuse, the horror often does not end with the crime. The victim relives the pain and humiliation repeatedly starting from the time he or she approaches the police to register a complaint. In a bid to sensitise the police, a city-based NGO is training policemen on handling child sexual abuse cases.

Muskaan, an initiative under Aalochana, Centre for Documentation and Research on Women, is training policemen on the psychological, social, and legal aspects of sexual abuse cases. “In most cases, the culprits are close relatives who make the victims feel ashamed of themselves,” Radhika Rawat of Muskaan said.

Recently, state Director General of Police Ajit Parasnis had said that growing crime against minors was one of the biggest concerns for the police. Sharmila Raje, another team member said, “We approached Police Commissioner Meeran Borwankar and expressed our concern about the way the issue of chld sexual abuse is dealt with at police stations. We suggested training for the police. With her approval, we have begun our training with sub inspectors and writers at police stations. We have covered all police stations under Zone I and will be covering the other three zones in the coming days.”