PANAJI
An 11-year-old girl who reported being sexually assaulted was made to wait for more than six hours at Panaji police station before her complaint could be registered, with the police station having no woman police sub-inspector available to handle the case.
The delay came even after the minor was taken to Goa Medical College for medical examination. Official sources said that her mother was left waiting at the police station while a woman PSI was sought by the staff to complete the registration of the FIR.
As per the complaint, the girl, originally from Nepal, told her mother that an unidentified man, reportedly also a Nepali approached her at Caranzalem beach on Saturday morning. He allegedly followed her towards the beach, took her into a bushy area and sexually assaulted her.
The matter was subsequently brought to Panaji police station, where the absence of a woman PSI became a hurdle in registering the offence. Sources said senior officers were informed about the requirement of a woman PSI, but the police station had to wait until one could be made available.
“Even Old Goa police station did not have lady PSI whereas at Agassaim, the LPSI was scheduled to report for duty only at 8 pm. A woman officer then arrived at Panaji police station to begin the process of registration of FIR,” the source said.
The episode has once again brought attention to acute shortage of women police personnel at several police stations.
The Goan has been reporting about the issue including that several women personnel transferred to Panaji police station continue to serve at their previous postings despite the order.
So also, the police station's women’s help desk is frequently left unattended because of inadequate women staff, despite sanctioned posts and repeated attempts by the department to fill vacancies through transfers.
The staffing gap is not confined to Panaji. Departmental figures indicate shortages of women police personnel across Old Goa, Porvorim, Mapusa and Calangute in North Goa.
South Goa faces a similar shortage, with departmental figures indicating vacancies of one woman police inspector, 22 PSIs, four ASIs, two head constables and 37 constables.
The Panaji police remained unavailable from comment on the present case.
