Complete anonymity, privacy assured; DG to appear before SC today
Women victims of sexual violence urged to speak out
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 06 2023: Even as the Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Singh has been asked to appear before the Supreme Court tomorrow on the Manipur crisis, the Apex Court may set up a High Powered Committee to monitor the investigation and prosecution of FIRs related to crimes against women.

Likely to be set up tomorrow, the High Powered Committee will seek to encourage women victims of crimes to come forward with FIRs.

By all indications, the Committee will report directly to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the DGP has been directed to appear in person at 2 pm (August 7) before the Court for a better understanding of the law and order situation in Manipur and to "answer queries of the Court" .

According to Ngangom Junior Luwang, Advocate (Supreme Court of India), who is representing International Meitei Organization in the matter, the top Court in its last order of August 1 had recorded that out of the 6,523 FIRs filed as on July 25, 2023, only 12 relates to crime against women.

So far, one Meitei girl has filed one FIR for rape and there is another FIR relating to burning alive of a Meitei freedom fighter's widow.

The Kukis have filed 10 such FIRs, and more could come out from either of the two communities tomorrow, said the Advocate.

Women victims of crimes should be encouraged to come out and not hide.

Professional counsels must be given to the victims and they should be encouraged to file FIRs and informed that their identities and privacy will be kept protected throughout the investigation and prosecution.

Civil society organisations should engage professional counsellors and psychologists to counsel the victims so that they could come out of their traumatic experiences and tell their stories, said the Advocate.

"Though names will be mentioned in the complaint, FIRs will not carry names of rape victims and such trials will be in-Camera hearings.

If sexual assault victims are not comfortable, their relatives can directly file the FIRs with details on the date, hour, place and all other relevant details of the crimes committed.

If names of the accused can be put in the complaint, well and good: even otherwise, FIRs can be filed without naming the accused.

"Medical reports, if possible, should be obtained and delay in filing FIRs can be explained and such delay does not in most cases affect merits of the FIRs.

"It's not actual forced sexual intercourse that comes under rape alone.

Even any form of physical insertion of any male body part into the private part of the victim without consent is rape," he said.

FIRs can also be filed for other forms of sexual assaults including but not limited to grabbing without consent a woman's private part (even over clothes), any indecent touch or any form of sexual molestation.

All that one has to do is to confide her story to a confidante and for her or her confidante to write a complaint with as much relevant details (date, place, time, details of criminal activities committed etc) and submit the same to the police station concerned, said the Advocate.

"It is time for women victims to come out and tell their stories.

While we condemn the hellish nightmares you had gone through, we shall respect and salute you for your courage to stand up for yourself and for your community," said Advocate Ngangom Junior Luwang.

Comment