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GOAN SPECIAL
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UP THE GRAPH SINCE LAST 13 MONTHS
* 83 cases of domestic violence
* 65 cases of poison consumption
* 115 cases of assault not officially registered
* Nearly 90 pc of victims from Goan families
* Some women from well to do middle-class families
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ABOUT CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTRE
* Offers emotional support to women by way of counselling
* Started by Cehat (NGO), in association with the Asilo in Jan 2015
* Sexual violence and child abuse cases also reported at the centre
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POISON CONSUMPTION
* Four cases in first 15 days of March
* one of the four cases referred to GMC
* Three cases reported in the month of February
* Cases mostly reported in the age group of 18 to 22
* Youngest girl reported a 14-year-old student from Std 9
* Most common and preferred form of poison has been phenol
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MAPUSA: Instances of domestic violence against women and suicidal tendencies by consuming poison among young adult women are on the rise in North Goa.
Since the last 13 months, 83 cases of domestic violence against women and 65 cases of poison consumption were registered at the Crisis Intervention Centre for Women in North Goa District Hospital (Asilo) in Mapusa.
More importantly, 115 cases of assault against women reported at the centre were not officially registered.
For the record, almost 90 per cent of the victims are from Goan families. And some of the women facing crisis came from well to do middle-class families in the State.
Crisis Intervention Centre for Women offers emotional support to women by way of counseling and was started by Cehat, an NGO, in association with the Asilo in January 2015.
Apart from cases of domestic violence and poison consumption, sexual violence and child abuse cases are also reported at the centre. But as there is no forensic laboratory in the Asilo, such cases invariably are referred to Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim.
In first 15 days of March, four cases of poison consumption were reported, one of which was referred to GMC, informed Pooja Ugvekar, the counselor, in charge at the centre. In February, three poison intake cases were reported.
Cases of poison consumption are mostly reported among young adult women in the age group of 18 to 22. The youngest girl reported for swallowing poison was a 14-year-old student from Std 9.
The motive to consume poison varied from parents pulling up their wards for poor studies to objection to love affairs.
“Quite often girls take the drastic step after parents berate their children either on account of poor performance in school or opposing their daughter’s relationship with boys,” said Ugvekar, counsellor at the centre.
In a startling revelation, the counsellor disclosed that most of the victims were unable to control their anger and took the drastic step “in a fit of anger”.
“The most common and preferred form of poison has been phenol, but victims also resort to consuming lizol and cockroach chalk,” the counsellor informed.
Although most of the assaults against women are prompted by husbands, sometimes attacks are also reported between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law.
The reasons for assaults vary between lack of trust between husband and wife to poor financial condition of the family.
“Very often, we try to talk to the victim and after taking her consent, try to find a middle path by compromising between both the husband and the wife,” Ugvekar said. “If the relation is on a point of no return, then we suggest them to take the legal route by offering private advocate services, which are on the panel of the centre,” she added.
From the time the crisis centre was launched in Mapusa, a minimum of at least two cases are reported at the centre.
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Goa Govt yet to take
call on crisis centre
The Crisis Intervention Centre for Women, a special cell that offers emotional support to women by way of counselling, has obviously helped the women in distress in North Goa.
The unit was started by Cehat, a Mumbai-based NGO at the North Goa District Hospital.
The centre was launched as a pilot project with the intention that Goa government would gradually take over the centre. But this has not materialized yet.
The loner counsellor, who is offering her services at the centre is being paid for by Cehat and has her service contract renewed every three months.
Sources disclosed that the government is seriously toying with the idea of opening more such centres “ one in Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim and Hospicio in South Goa.
