MARGAO
The recent incident of alleged rape of a 25-year old woman by a Police Sub-Inspection attached to the Margao police station, has only brought to the fore the moot question “ why are Lady Police Sub-Inspectors not drafted to deal with issues relating to women before they are being exploited by their male counterparts?
The issue has also brought the old issue back to focus as to why the Women and Child Protection Unit at Margao is not upgraded into a women police station to deal with issues of women down South.
Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas has dashed off a letter to the Director General of Police, Jaspal Singh pointing out that the recent incident of alleged offence of rape by the Margao PSI has shaken up the faith of women in policing in the State. “It is unethical and unbefitting for a police officer to create such a situation and has damaged the reputation of Goa police. “It is a slur on the respectable uniform,” she said in the letter, adding that she strongly feels that this incident would have been avoided if there were a sufficient number of women police to handle women-related issues. “Women-related issues are best handled by women police,” she said.
Auda added: “We have been dealing with many child sexual abuse cases and there is a steady increase in cases registered under POCSO Act, which makes it necessary to have more women police. Hence, it is urgent in the interest of women and children and for their protection in the State to have more women police officers.”
While making a humble plea to the DGP to appoint women police officers of all ranks in sufficient numbers to be available at all police stations in Goa and at all times, Auda demanded that the Goa police department make provision for a women police station in the Margao police headquarters on top priority.
