Women rights proponents demand effective police response to rape
survivors
New
Delhi/March 29, 2017: Seeking to
bridge gaps in police response to victims of rape and sexual assault, the
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) convened a National Conference on 'First Response, Good Policing and Rape
Survivors' in collaboration with the British High Commission earlier today.
The conference focused on ways to improve the police response to women, particularly to rape
survivors, with a focus on New Delhi and Mumbai. It brought together senior
police officers, civil society, lawyers, journalists, academics, and
independent commissions to share knowledge, take stock of good practices, and
chart out a way forward to address challenges.
Discussions revolved around the initiatives being
taken by the police in Delhi and Mumbai to improve women’s safety and the key
interventions required to support rape survivors.
“The biggest
challenges within the police system at present are limited training, low women
representation in the ranks and patriarchic values within the system. I also
feel that the police have been used very badly in our country, politically. The
good officers who are in the position to lead are sidelined. There is no
political will in this country to keep women safe. It is never an election
issue,” said Kanwaljit Deol,
Director General of Police (Retd.)
Stressing on ‘an institutional bias’ in the police against
different communities, Vrinda Grover, prominent lawyer and human
rights activist asserted, “We need more
women in police and rigorous training in evidence collection and investigation.
Without competent investigation, it is impossible to get a conviction.” She
further underscored that though there was a definite increase in reporting of
crimes relating to sexual violence, cases of sexual assaults within domestic
lives and in offices were underreported even now.
“A victim becomes a survivor only when justice
is done, conviction takes place and he/she is rehabilitated. The legal
community and civil society should join hands to protect the dignity of the
complainants, and guide victims through the legal processes and help with their
rehabilitation,” said Flavia Agnes, lawyer and co-founder of
the Mumbai-based NGO, Majlis.
Discussants agreed
that no meaningful change was possible on the ground without addressing women’s
vulnerability in availing justice. The need for an overhaul in the attitude of
police towards the general public and the inclusion of women in policing were
highlighted as central issues.
Sanjay
Beniwal, Special Commissioner for
Women’s Safety in the Delhi Police, recommended bringing in changes in the
school curricula to teach boys in their formative years to respect and protect
women. “Men must realise that being manly
is not tolerating, not perpetrating, not supporting any attacks on women. From
the police perspective, the biggest change that has come after the Nirbhaya
incident is that no questions are asked when a victim files a complaint and the
registration of FIR is not restricted by jurisdiction. There is a growing
realization that if handled correctly, victims of sexual assault can bounce
back,” he said.
Fareen Malik, Member, Delhi Commission for Women, highlighted the
key interventions undertaken by the agency. “The
Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi had announced funds for
the creation of One-Stop Centres in each district of Delhi. I am happy to
reveal that we will have these operational very soon. Delhi will also have six
more forensic labs.”
Calling for greater sensitisation of personnel at
police training academies, Bharti
Sharma, Honourary Secretary of the New Delhi-based Shakti Shalini, said, “Police and civil society response to sexual
violence is currently focused on rape, due to which other sexual offences like
fondling and touching are often overlooked. It is vital to acknowledge that
young boys can also be victims of sexual abuse, and their complaints must be
treated sensitively.”
Nayreen
Daruwalla, Programme Director of
Mumbai-based SNEHA, emphasized that public systems and communities should take
on the onus of addressing gender-based violence. “Partnerships between the police, academic institutions and NGOs can
also help in monitoring and recording cases of violence against women and
girls. Police also need to integrate prevention strategies into their work,”
she said.
In a new initiative, CHRI also released a short film, “24 Hours” on the work and challenges before
the police and other responders in the crucial first 24 hours after a rape
survivor comes to the police with her complaint. Inaugurating the film, Andrew Mackenzie, Deputy Head
(Political and Bilateral Affairs) at the British High Commission said, “Globally, one in three women are beaten or
sexually abused once in their lifetimes. It is our hope that institutions will
be able to use this film to shape their trainings and procedures and design the
best possible response while engaging with rape survivors. We really feel by
working together and putting women and girls at the heart of our work will we
be able to tackle issues of violence against women.”
Among the other concerns
raised in the conference were the need for police accountability and
sensitisation, systemic impediments to women’s access to justice, dominant
patriarchy in the society and legal processes and remedies.
About the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
Established in 1987, The
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, international
organisation committed to protecting and promoting human rights in Commonwealth
nations. CHRI works towards strengthening access to justice (through prison and
police reforms) and building a culture of transparent governance (through the
Right to Information). CHRI also monitors human rights-related trends and
developments across the Commonwealth and makes formal submissions to treaty bodies
and inter-governmental agencies, including the United Nations Human Rights
Council.
For more information, contact:
|
Samarth Pathak
|
|
Telephone: 011-43180228
|
No comments:
Post a Comment