Two rapes occur every hour in India, reveals National
Crime Records Bureau data. Statistics also show an 837% increase in rape cases
in the country the last five decades. In Gujarat, which is considered a safe
haven for women, rape cases have spiked by 70 per cent over past five years.
Violated in the most ghastly way, the victims then have to deal with delayed
treatment as well as insensitive cops or medicos. However, the plight of
Gujarat's daughters does not seem to worry the state government, which in 2009
during the chief ministership of Narendra Modi, had allowed the Centre's
detailed advisory on setting up Rape Crisis Centres (RCCs) in all districts to
go unheeded.Worse, the current Modi-led Centre which was quite prompt in
banning a documentary on Nirbhaya from being screened in the country has now
trimmed the plan to just one centre in every stateunion territory.
The budget for the project has also been slashed from
Rs 244.48 crore to Rs 18 crore.
In September 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent
a detailed advisory to states and union territories carrying a set of
instructions to deal with cases of rape. It directed the health departments to
set up RCCs in every district to assist rape victims.
The centres were to coordinate between police and
health department facilities for medical examination to establish forensic
evidence and to treat after-effects of trauma.
Then, in 2014, Women and Child Development Minister
Menaka Gandhi proposed to set up 660 Nirbhaya RCCs -one in each of the 640
districts and another 20 in the six metros. “We need to initiate change whereby
a rape victim does not have to run from pillar to post for justice. Rather, all
medical, legal and police aid should be made available at one umbrella centre,“
the minister had said.
However, the Prime Minister's Office only approved
opening of 36 of the 660 onestop crisis centres. The Centre stuck to its guns
even though the women commissions termed the move as unfair, questioning how
could a rape survivor from the interiors travel to the centre, which is most
likely to be in the capital.
SPIKE IN RAPES
There has been a surge in the number of rape cases
since 2009 when 433 cases were recorded in Gujarat. This increased to 732 in
2013, according to NCRB data. This means nearly 70 per cent rise in four years.
As per CAG report, 92 minor girls were raped in 2009, 103 in 2010, 130 in 2011,
150 in 2012 and 265 in 2013. The last figure represents a76 per cent increase
over previous year.
While the government thinks that there is no need to
establish such centres in all districts, child and women activists think
otherwise.
Sharing an incident with Mirror, Dilip Mer, state
head of Childline, said: “Last month, a eight-year-old girl was raped and was
bleeding from her private parts. When she was taken to VS Hospital, doctors
made the child wait for 45 minutes even though she was screaming in pain. In
Delhi rape case, too, the victim had to wait for 45 minutes before getting any
medical attention in hospital.“
Amod K Kanth, former DGP of Goa and Andhra Pradesh
and founder of first RCC centre in Delhi, said, “This centre helps in assisting
rape victims and their families overcome the trauma through counselling, as
well as by assisting them in filing FIR and conducting follow-ups.This leads to
quicker investigation and faster disposal of cases.“
RAPE TREATMENT UNIT
Women activists feel that as most rape victims are
first taken to hospital, it is necessary to constitute a specialised Sexual
Assault Treatment Unit (also mentioned in the 2009 advisory) in all hospitals.
“Hospital staff often lack adequate training in
handling such sensitive cases. They are the first ones to be approached after
such an incident. So, all hospitals should have such facilities to avoid delay
or subject ing the victim to insensitive behaviour,“ said Poonam Kathuria,
executive secretary of SWATI, an NGO which works for women development.
She added, “Police officers do not have sufficient
training in handling such cases. They should be trained, too.“
“It is very sad that the government does not want to
start centres in all districts as it wants to focus on strengthening the
existing structures,“ said Kathuria.
However, health department officials in the state
believe there is no need for such centres. “Medical staff are provided
specialised training to handle such cases, there is no need for the centres,“
said a senior official, seeking anonymity. This attitude persists even though
it is a widely recognised fact that several cases of sexual assault go
unreported due to negative perceptions about the police and medical system
which openly discriminate against rape victims. Meanwhile, promises made by the
Centre to address violence against women will remain just noise till it learns
to put its money where its mouth is, both literally and figuratively.
SPEEDY TRIAL FOR CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN
Gujarat Law Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja on Sunday
expressed serious concern about crimes against women and advocated for setting
up of fast track courts for speedy trial of such cases. In order to expedite
jus tice delivery system through effective e-Governance and in a time-bound
manner, all the courts in Gujarat are connected with prisons through vid eo
conferencing facility, Jadeja said at the working session of Chief Min
isters-Chief Justices conference here.
The state government has made adequate provisions in
budget to wards digitisation of case records in the High Court and district
courts.
He said Gujarat government is also vigilant about
crimes against women which are a matter of serious concern.
For expeditious trial, the Special Fast Track Court
should be set up to deal with the cases of heinous crimes against women like
rape, dowry death, acid attack, etc., he suggested. In the current financial
year, Rs 1,649.39 crore budgetary provision has been made for legal department
which was Rs 141 crore in 2003-04. “We are able to provide furniture and other
equipments for the smooth running of the courts. The state gov ernment has
maintained the standards with space requirements and fa cilities needed for an
efficient modern complex also,“ he added.
He said high court has taken many proactive steps in
this regard and the state government has also decided to set up Family Courts
at all dis trict level, and 18 courts are currently working in different
districts. PTI
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