Shillong: Crime against women and children has been witnessing an upward trend in Meghalaya, where a total of 1,267 cases have been registered in the state since 2018.
This was informed by Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday when responding to a question raised by Umroi MLA George Lyngdoh on the “Prevailing safety and security of the people in the state” during the short duration discussion.
Stating that this is one issue that has become a major concern and requires special attention and immediate remedial measures, Rymbui said, “Of the 1267 registered cases, 408 have been registered wherein the victims of crime are children.”
Cases registered under the Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) reached a total of 1,542 since 2018, and on average, more than 300 cases have been registered from 2018 to 2021.
“These cases of crime against women and children are indeed a deep concern for all, as the vulnerable sections of the society are being targeted by criminals from time to time,” stated Rymbui.
He further stated that criminals involved in such cases have been arrested and prosecuted under relevant provisions of the law. For crimes against women and children, 1260 accused have been arrested in the past 5 years, and under the POCSO Act, a total of 1357 criminals have been arrested since 2018.
In addition to these, a total of 103 accused persons have been convicted in the same period.
To ensure the prevention of crimes against women, and their rehabilitation, One Stop Crisis Centres that deal with providing a range of services for violence-affected women, including police facilitation, legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, medical aid, and temporary shelter, have been set up in all the 11 districts of the State.
The home minister also informed the House that Women Help Desks have also been set up in various police stations across the state to facilitate crime reporting by women.
In addition to the Women Police Stations which have been set up in the 11 districts, a Crime Scene Unit (CSU) comprising experts from the state Forensic Science laboratory (FSL) and the Fingerprint Bureau (FPB), has also been constituted to assist the investigating officer, especially in cases relating to crime against women and children.
Another project which has been launched in the state is the Dial 112-National Emergency Response System (NERS) which deals with distress calls and dispatching the information received to the nearest police station. Emergency calls received by this response unit include fire calls, information regarding road accidents, and crime incidences.
“An app for woman safety, known as Meg-Cop-Watch has also been launched in East Khasi Hills District. This app is available in 3 languages — English, Hindi and Khasi. It sends real-time information to the officer-in-charge of a police station regarding the threat perceived by an individual and the current location,” informed Rymbui.
The government has also constituted the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHITU) in all 11 districts. The home minister added that these units have been working tirelessly towards rescuing victims of human trafficking and reuniting the victims with their families.
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