Rights should be first available to the victim and not for the accused or the criminal, said Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan on Tuesday at the launch of ‘Unmaking of a Monster’, a documentary by transgender activist Apsara Reddy.
The documentary throws light on different facets of life inside the Puzhal prison.
Ms. Reddy has spoken to different prisoners, including child rape accused Daswanth, who claimed to be innocent, and Perarivalan, a life convict in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, on their experiences in jail.
“There is a strong presence of human rights for accused persons, however very few are there for the victims. Even that is not present in an organised manner. There is a need to strengthen this and the community should play a major role in doing so,” Mr Viswanathan said.
Two schools of thought
He said that there are two schools of thought — whether to release heinous crime accused if they repent or should they be condemned and left in the prison itself.
“But I doubt if there are any successful models in the world for reformation and rehabilitation for such convicts,” he added.
The Commissioner said the horror of a child rape victim cannot be overemphasised. They experience the pain throughout their life. “The Tamil Nadu police is taking many measures to ensure safety of women and children. The State is a pioneer in introducing the All Women Police station. There are 35 All Women Police Stations in Chennai alone,” he explained.
This year alone, a total of 363 children have been rescued from begging.
The Child Helpline 1098 gets 2,000 calls per month and the women helpline 1091 receives over 500 calls per month, he added. “We have a no-nonsense approach in handling crime against women and children. This will continue,” he said.
Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan , actor Gautami, film director Vetrimaran and leading gynaecologist Kamala Selvaraj and others participated. A panel discussion on death for child rapists was held.