CSOs press alarm bell over rising crime against children
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 07 2014: Women Action for Development (WAD) and Centre for Social Development (CSD have strongly condemned the brutal killing of a 7 year old girl named Simaran, d/o Md Doctor from Moijingkhong Manung, Thoubal district.

Simaran went missing from home since 5 May and was found murdered on 6 May in the neighbourhood.

In a statement, Sobita Mangsatabam, Secretary of WAD, said that with this the spontaneity of crimes against women and children in the state has become a question to ponder over.

Despite various efforts made by several civil society organizations, the rate has been escalating at an unstoppable pace.

Many new trends of committing crimes have been witnessed in recent days.

Most of the victims belonged to poor section of the society while recent trends of cold blooded murders are committed by drug abusers.

Crimes reported from the Muslim community gains a record high in recent days.

Minors from Children Home became a target of some Insurgency groups to extort money and are fondly exposed to arms is an en-route to child soldier which is a violation of child rights and Geneva Convention.

The crimes against the under aged minors below 8 years and the mounting of cyber crime rate have been witnessed in recent times.

Sobita went on to point out that in the last four months of 2014, as many as 68 cases of various forms of crimes against women and children have been reported.

Among them, there are 15 murder cases, 16 rape cases of which 6 are gang rape, 9 assault cases, 3 cyber crime, 9 suicide cases, 2 molest cases, child trafficking 7 cases etc.

As per district-wise analysis, 25 cases were reported in Imphal West, 17 cases in Imphal East, 17 cases in Thoubal, 7 cases in Bishnupur, 3 cases in CCpur, 3 cases in Chandel, 1 case in Senapati, 1 cases in Ukhrul and 7 cases outside Manipur.

But the Police stations have registered only 6 cases in Thoubal, 4 cases in Irilbung, 3 cases in Moirang, 7 cases in Heingang, 3 cases in Kakching, 3 cases in Lamphel and 2 cases in Singjamei.

Sobita expressed concern that with the system of justice delivery deeply corroded, people have lost faith in the judiciary system as well as investigation system and thus resorted to illegitimate mob trials and justice resulting in negative outcomes and prospects.

Many arrested convicts of crimes against women and children are yet to be charge-sheeted thus delay in delivering justice.

Lack of improper investigation system and lack of modernization measure leads to the increase in number of pending cases related to crimes against women and children thereby steep-rising the rate of crimes it the State.

Lack of follow-ups by the media against various reported cases of crimes is also another factor, she added.

"Are we going to trust and rely on government initiation and effective measure to prevent the rising crime against women and children" is the question that everyone asked, Sobita observed.

Centre for Social Development (CSD) has also strongly condemned the inhuman act of murdering 7 years old Simaran and said that it was very unfortunate for all of us that women and girls of the State are frequently subjected to rape, murder, torture, kidnapping, etc.

In this year, 2014 from January to April, a total number of 101 cases of violence against women and children (rape, suicide, murder, rape attempt, murder attempt, molestation, etc) have been reported in the local newspapers, where the cases of minor children are rising.

CSD strongly opposes all these increasing crimes and would further initiate appropriate steps which are deemed to be fit for prevention and elimination of the crimes against women and girls.

CSD sincerely appeals to the concerned authority to expedite the case under the law and punish the culprit accordingly.

We also further appeal to the State Government to constitute special investigation team to deal with such types of rape case/heinous crime as soon as possible.

Finally, we appeal to the people of Manipur regardless of caste, race and communities to come together and fight collectively to save out future generation and to have a violent free society, a statement of CSD added.

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