VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Crimes against women in Goa continue unabated, going by the figures that on an average two women were either raped or molested or kidnapped everyday in the first two months of the New Year. Goa has a meagre one lady police for every 2000 women.
In the recently concluded budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar – citing increasing crimes against women across the country – announced the formation of a special women police battalion, given the shortage of women police in the existing 5000-odd force.
“In the backdrop of rising crimes against women, my Government proposes to form a special women police battalion with strength of 300. My Government believes that by suitable training to conduct investigation and by providing orientation towards crime against women, the special women police force would be able to create comfortable and secured environment for women which is the need of the hour,” Parrikar said.
Police records on January 22, 2013 show that the department has 148 lady head constables and 171 lady police constables in addition to about seven police inspectors, a couple of sub inspectors, one deputy superintendent of police and an IPS officer to the rank of SP. The figures indicate that women form a small percentage of the total strength of the police force as against 7,19,405 female population in the State as per 2011 census.
More than 800 women have been victims of different types of crimes since last four years, majority of which constitute molestation and rape. In January-February 2014, Goa police registered a total of 16 rape, 30 molestation and 30 kidnapping cases.
The BJP government which completes two years in the office today (Sunday, March 9) has faced severe impending crisis not only in the mining industry but also on the law and order front. The department had last year started 24×7 women helpline and women help desks at all police stations, which unarguably face acute staff shortage.
“There are hardly any women officers available to investigate sexual violence cases. The lower hierarchy is not eligible to conduct investigations in such cases and a few among the present women officers are overloaded with cases,” said an officer.
“If a woman police officer isn’t available to handle a case at a particular police station… A rape survivor is usually hesitant to recount her ordeal before a policeman. It is only because a woman NGO member is available that recording of statements are possible. We have already put this system in place. Women officers will not only record the statements but also carry out the probe, including technical and medical aspects.
A whopping 4426 heinous and non-heinous crimes were registered from March 9, 2012 till December 31, 2013 of which 315 cases were of rape and molestation.
The increasing crimes, Parrikar had justified were reported during the erstwhile Congress-led coalition tenure, but now registered during his tenure as FIRs. “In view of the awareness created by the Nirbhaya case and also due to the direction of the government to compulsorily register cases,” was his written reply in 2013 assembly session, which was in response to a question raising concerns over the rise in cases of sexual assault on minors in the State.
