PANAJI
The latest figures of heinous crime committed against women like rape is both alarming and disappointing. While over 1,000 cases from 2019 till March 2013 were reported across police stations, only a partly eight have resulted in convictions while 45 ended in acquittal. Approx 10 accused were discharged, leaving a long list of 799-odd cases pending trial and around 84 under investigation.
What’s further disturbing is that rape cases constitute the highest 299 with only three convictions. Shockingly, 16 were acquitted, indicating all is not well when it comes to the safety and justice of the rape survivors. The figures also highlight cases pending trial and those still being investigated.
The data, available with The Goan, also reveals that the State has not seen any convictions for these offences from 2021 whereas only two were convicted for molestation and eve teasing in 2020.
As scrutiny grows on the efficiency of police investigations and evidence gathering, questions are also raised about the functioning of Women Police Station and the lack of judges. Women activists claim that the fight for justice for these victims requires a collaborative effort of all stakeholders including police, judiciary and civil society.
NGO Bailancho Saad’s convenor, Sabina Martins, has come down hard on the police for their attitude towards
handling cases related to women. Speaking to The Goan, she accused the law enforcement agency of cherry-picking the “easiest” cases to inflate their crime detection rates, while the complex cases are left to languish in a weak redressal mechanism.
She highlighted the pervasive problem, starting from reporting the matter to the police and the weak evidence collection that often fails to reach a logical conclusion. She claimed that the outcome also depends on the prosecution and the judges, adding that if even one of the players fails, justice is derailed.
Advocate Albertina Almeida expressed her disappointment with the State for not giving the WPS a nodal PS status that would guide investigations pertaining to crimes against women, even at other PS.
She, along with Martins was one of the activists who campaigned for the establishment of WPS in the State way back in 1996, which was supposed to be a nodal PS for women-related offences. However, Almeida argued that it turned out to be just another police station. Offences committed against women are still given low priority across police stations, she alleged.
The advocate added that the government has been more focused on needless so-called development projects than ensuring appropriate infrastructure and adequate police and court personnel.
She added that there is neglect in the appointment of judges, which has led to a backlog of pending cases. The advocate also cited the Indian Judicial System 2022 report that revealed Goa ranks seventh among small states on indicators of dispensation of justice, including vacancies in the post of judges.
Victims retract, negligent IOs also affect trials: DGP
PANAJI: Director General of Goa Police Jaspal Singh has claimed that in any criminal trial, the evidence presented must be unequivocal beyond a reasonable doubt. In many cases, victims retract or do not support the prosecution’s narrative but also concede that some Investigating Officers act negligently.
“In any criminal trial, the evidence adduced has to be beyond reasonable doubt. It has been seen that in many cases the prosecutrix retract or doesn’t support the prosecution story,” he said, speaking to The Goan.
Singh cited that delay in the conclusion of trials affects the effectiveness of witnesses while suggesting that speedy trials can also improve conviction as the memory of witnesses remains fresh and they are better able to testify. “However, trials are under the jurisdiction of the courts, and hence we are not competent to comment,” he said.
Singh further admitted that at times Investigating Officers are negligent for which action is taken against them. “Generally in incest cases family pressures lead to the victim recanting her version. All acquittal reports are analysed and remedial action is taken in the form of training programmes to hone the skills of IOs,” he added.
