Meet on atrocities against women and children held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 20 2012: Legal justice against criminals who committed crime against children and women has been failed to be delivered in the State as the police did not take up necessary investigation against such criminals.

This was stated by Advocate Guneshwar Sharma, member secretary of Manipur State Legal Service Authority while speaking as a resource person at a consultative meeting jointly organised by United NGO Mission, Manipur; District Women Committee, Imphal West, and District Network Committee, Imphal West on atrocities against women and children today at the conference hall of IMA, Keishampat.

He also asserted that crime against women and children has been increasing as the criminals got scot free.

Stating that there are several provisions in the Indian Constitution for safeguarding the the rights of women and children, Guneshwar Sharma pointed out that any criminal commiting crime against women is liable to several punishments including imprisonment upto seven years for person accused of rape.

He added that a person accused of muder after rape is liable to be given death sentence if proved.

Though there have been such provisions, failure on the part of the police to take up investigation, charge-sheet, lack of legal awareness among the public and reservation of the victims to speak out their minds have hampered the justice delivery system in the State, he said.

Guneshwar further added that a person employing children below 14 years is punishable under law with a fine of Rs 20,000 .

Speaking as a resource person, social activist Dr Dhanabir Laishram said women are revered in Manipuri society while recollecting that crime against women had not been heard off untill 1980.He said women should be availed maternity benefit scheme, and sexual offenders against women should be punished.

Social activist, Nandini related crime against women with the common mindset of commodification of women imbedded on men while observing that crime against women would continue unabated until men changed their mindset on women.

Among others, the meeting made several recommendations including immediate delivery of justice to the victims, implementation of a Supreme Court directive for the prevention of sexual harassment of women at workplaces, imparting moral and spiritual lessons to the students.

It also recommended provisions of mechanism for monitoring and checking of cyber crime and to urge the parents to imbibe moral lessons to their children.

The meet was moderated by Prof Sadananda.

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