‘Women more comfortable in reporting harassers now’

HYDERABAD: City police have said that more and more women are now comfortable filing FIRs against romeos. Courtesy: The zero-tolerance policy adopted by the police against such elements. Compared to 2017, the number of FIRs filed against romeos, in 2018, increased from 225 to 299 under Rachakonda commissionerate. Police have claimed that this is after several awareness programmes taken up by the police at schools and colleges among other places.

“The data shows that the number of FIRs have gone up, which is a positive change, the SheTeam has observed. The initial hesitation in filing FIR against harassers have come down. After giving assurance, women nowadays are comfortable filing FIR against such offenders. The data also reveals that the total number of such cases have come down from 602 in 2017 to 516 in 2018,” said Shaik Saleema, Additional DCP and SheTeam in-charge for Rachakonda.

Police have also observed a decrease in the number of minors involved in cases such as stalking, passing offensive comments, following or harassing women on roads. In 2017, where 84 minors were caught for such cases, the numbers had come down to 46 in 2018. “Usually minors are not booked for eve-teasing but are giving counselling in the presence of their parents, but if the case is serious, even they are not spared,” the additional DCP said.