SHILLONG: Crime against women and children is on the rise in Meghalaya despite it being a matrilineal State. This has raised concerns among people from all walks of life and this prompted Shillong Press Club to organise a discussion on the issue on National Press Day on Wednesday.
Participating in the talks on ‘Crime against woman and children: Challenges Faced’, Advocate Rebina Subba said there are no shelter homes for woman in the State and that there are various laws which are never implemented. Information and Public Relations Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed shock at the fact that Shillong does not have a woman shelter home and she assured that the matter will be immediately taken up with the Chief Minister.
Medical examination of a rape victim has to be done within 24 hours of receiving information of the incident but “that hardly happens”, Subba pointed out.
According to Subba, as per Section 357 of the CrPC, all hospitals must offer free treatment in case of a medical emergency, “but doctors on many occasions don’t even touch the victim as they want the matter to be reported to the police first”.
The advocate pointed out that there is an urgent need to create more awareness among women who, in most cases, are reluctant to approach authorities in case of sexual abuse. She urged media persons to avoid judgmental reports and giving out details of a victim.
Enumerating the challenges in solving a sexual harassment case, East Khasi Hills SP M. Kharkrang said forensic doctors should be trained properly and DNA fingerprints are often not available.
Pointing out that in case of a rape in a village, people first go to the traditional heads for solution before reporting the matter to police and all evidence is lost because of the delay.
“Most of the rapes and sexual abuses in the district are committed within the four walls of the house by known persons and close relatives. It is not that girls are being abducted from Police Bazar; 99 per cent of the crime against children and woman are happening within the house,” he said and added that witnesses often skip court trials.
Meena Kharkongor, chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, lamented that court cases in matters pertaining to crime against woman and children are proceeding but with laxity.
“Many a time papers are misplaced from case records,” she said and added that a survey should be conducted to find out the root cause of sexual crime. She stressed on the need to set up special courts to try sexual abuse cases.
“I have also written to the Education Department to have sex education in schools,” said Kharkongor and urged that political parties should bar any member involved in sexual crime from party membership.
While lauding the media in the State for “achieving many milestones in the last few decades,” Minister Lyngdoh said the media has an important role to play in building a better society by way of proper and factual dissemination of news and information.
She added that sensitive reporting of news pertaining to crime against women and children is needed taking into account the welfare and betterment of the society.
