(Representational Image)
TAKING SERIOUS note of the increasing cases of sexual harassment involving minor children, the Chandigarh Police is all set to oraganise a special campaign for minor girls and boys to sensitise them to molestation and bad physical touch. The campaign will be organised in schools by the Chandigarh Police women cell team along with a team of doctors and counsellors.
Anjitha Chepyala, DSP Women and Child Support Unit (W&CSU), UT Police, says: “To spread awareness among girls, a special campaign has been designed by the women cell of Chandigarh Police to educate them about bad touch or molestation.”
“The campaign will be focused on children aged between 5 and 14. During the campaign, the girls in schools will be told what is molestation, what is physical abuse, or any bad touch which children are not aware of. The aim of the campaign is to make children aware of the crime and how they can report it to the authority concerned,” she says.
“It is seen minors don’t know anything about molestation. So they become an easy victim. Therefore, we plan to organise this campaign,” Chepyala says, adding that the campaign is likely to be started in city schools in the coming month.
Ravi Kumar, SP (W&CSU), says, “During the special campaign on bad touch, we will also inform children and school authorities about POCSO Act so that they can report the crime to police immediately.”
During the campaign, the team of women cell will personally interact with girls and answer their queries. The team will use documentaries, short films and street plays to drive its point home. A police official said that the campaign would have separate sessions as per age group of girls. In due course of time, the team will also interact with girls in colleges.
Cases involving minor girls
The Chandigarh Police registered more than two dozen cases in 2016 in which minor girls were victims of molestation and rape. This month, the rape case of a 10-year-old girl came to light after she was found six-month pregnant in Chandigarh. The girl was allegedly raped by her uncle. In December last year, the Chandigarh Police had arrested a youth for allegedly molesting a minor girl and threatening her with dire consequences at Maloya. In October last year, the Chandigarh Police had arrested a youth for sexual harassment of a 16-year-old girl at Mauli Jagran.
Boys also victims of molestation
On January 29 this year, a seven-year-old boy became a victim of sodomy. The Chandigarh Police had then apprehended a 17-year-old boy for allegedly committing unnatural offence with the boy at Hallo Majra. The accused was a neighbour of the victim.
On January 31, the Chandigarh Police apprehended a 14-year-old boy for allegedly committing unnatural offence with an eight-year-old boy at Snehalaya, Maloya.
