Shillong, Novermber 25: Hundreds of women, including men and students’ took part in a rally to protest against crimes and violence against women during the International Campaign protesting Violence Against Women on Monday even as the Meghalaya Inspector General of Police (IGP) BR Rana gave a startling figure that till September this year there were altogether 151 rape cases registered across the state.
Hundreds of people carrying placards and slogans against violence on women walked through the city as part of the international campaign.
Addressing a function to mark the occasion, Rana said that among the crimes against women and children reported, ‘rape’ has been of a particular concern to the government as it has shown an ‘upward trend’ in the state. He said, “Rape has been a major concern as we have around 151 rape cases registered till September this year.”
Rana informed that a total of 164 rape cases were registered in 2012, while 130 and 149 in 2011 and 2010. According to him, children below 18 years are most vulnerable to to such crimes.
Stating there is steady of growth in crimes against women and children in the state, Rana said, “Reported cases of other crimes perpetrated against women and children in the state are 261 in 2010, 269 in 2011 and 225 in 2012.”
Rana, however, assured the gathering that the police are taking rape as ‘special report case’ so that it get focus which is investigated by officers of higher rank.
Rana also informed that the police department has started an outreach programme at the grass root level involving the people and local authorities to help the police in combating and preventing such crimes against the women.
Rana said the SP level officers have been pro-actively holding outreach programme in educational institutions to make students aware on how to prevent and deal with such crimes. He informed that the police stations in the state have also structured a mechanism called the ‘citizen-committee’ where regular sittings are being held.
Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) chairperson Theilin Phanbuh described ‘Rape’ as the most traumatize crime. She said there are factors which prevents rape victims from reporting the crimes committed against them – one is that a family or victim hesitate to report in fear of being stigmatize by the society while the other is due threats by the accused.
Phanbuh, however, felt that delay in reporting such cases should not be a reason for doubting the victim’s truthfulness..
Giving statistic of rape cases as per the National Crime Bureau of India, she said only in 2011, there are 24, 206 rape cases while 42, 968 cases of molestation and other form of sexual harassment reported in the entire country. “But this is just a tip of the iceberg because many of the cases go unreported,” she felt.
Stating that the violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights, Phanbuh said, “There is an urgent need to set up fast track courts to deal with such cases and maximum punishment should be awarded to the perpetrators of such crimes. – By Our Reporter
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