It is a matter of concern for the society and Government that in recent days, cases of sexual abuse and subsequent murder of girls have increased. In view of this, the State Government has directed all the district magistrates and police officers to take preventive measures by setting up women's help desk at various levels of administration and involve local residents and department officers for cautioning the parents about such offences, apart from creating awareness about Government steps for preventing such crimes and steps for rehabilitation of victims.
State additional secretary, Home, Vimmi Sachdeva, said that to put an end of sexual abuse of minor and adult females and to simplify the process for providing justice to the victim, Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2013 has been implemented.
Statistics revealed that girls residing in slum areas or under developed areas of city can easily become victim of sexual abuse. The district officers should launch awareness campaign through community policing headed by State Women's Help Cell and assisted by police stations and police Chowki in-charge in their respective districts.
"In order to take stringent actions against those accused of sexually abusing minors, the Central Government had passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 in the Parliament. The district magistrates and police officers have been directed to review cases related to sexual abuse of girls and take steps to put an end to the menace," she added.
For this, Women's Cell should be established at each police chowki and police station and this cell should form committee comprising local residents and constables and meeting with members should be organised from time to time in the districts.
In the awareness campaign, Shiksha Mitras, ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers should be deployed in consultation with district education officers, chief medical officers and district programme officers and these employees should be made members of women cell at police Chowki or police station level apart from fixing their responsibility in their respective jurisdiction.
These women members should take part in raising public awareness about government steps for its prevention and rehabilitation of the victim apart from advising the parents how they can protect their children from such abuse, she added.
The committee members need to be vigilant on antisocial elements and eve teasers and need to inform local chowki or police station in-charge and police officers about such elements.
Such system needs to be developed in rural areas also. In this committee, Pradhan, lekhpal and village watchman should be included and their responsibility needs to be fixed for preventing such abuse.
It has been observed that some students studying in city are involved in such activities after reaching their respective villages.
The committee members should keep an eye on such students. After occurrence of such incidents, the district magistrate and police officer should reach the spot immediately and provide counseling, legal advice or rehabilitation to victim.