New Delhi, January 8th, 2013

A number of suggestions emerged during the day-long Consultation on 'Violence Against Women' organized by the National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi today. These included, among others, suggestions for police reforms, judicial reforms, amendments in CrPC and Juvenile Justice Act, moral and attitudinal changes, role of media in not only preventing violence against women but also proactively bringing the perpetrators to justice speedily and ensuring psychological, economic and social rehabilitation of victims of sexual assault. It was strongly felt that proactive action by police followed by speedy justice will be more effective to check the violence against women.

Triggering the Consultation, the NHRC Chairperson, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said that there is no serious problem with the criminal justice system but there can be no dispute about having speedy justice. But the problem is that there are not sufficient courts, and there is acute shortage of judges. In many Metropolitan Magistrate courts at least 2000 cases may be pending, despite the fact that judicial officers may be working hard to dispose of the cases. How could there be speedy justice, if there are not enough courts. State should invest more money into judicial system as it is done in any civilized society.

Justice Balakrishnan said that in every Panchayat, there should be at least one judicial officer to hear cases. Referring to concerns on police reforms, he said that this aspect notwithstanding, police has to get off this general mindset that by registering complaints, the crime record will grow. They should also not harass an accused.

Quoting National Crime Report Bureau statistics, Justice Balakrishnan said that society needed to re-look into the patriarchal mindset to ensure that women are treated honorably. Expressing concern over rising number of cases of sexual assault and violence against women in Delhi compared to other mega cities, he said something needed to be done about it. Every citizen has a duty to abide by law.

Several prominent speakers, including NHRC Members, Mr. Justice G.P. Mathur, Mr. Justice B.C. Patel and Mr. Satyabrata Pal, Ms. Vrinda Grover, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Mr. Prakash Singh, former DGP, UP, Dr. Indu Agnihotri, Centre for Women Development Studies, Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, Consultant Psychiatrist, Moolchand Hospital, Dr. Sameer Malhotra, Consultant, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, Ms. Kalyani Shankar, Senior Journalist and Columnist, Ms. Saba Naqvi, National Bureau Chief, Outlook Magazine participated in the panel discussions which were followed by open house sessions with inputs from Mr. Wajahat Habibullah, Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities and Ms. Nina Nayak, Member, National Commission for Protection of Children Rights, senior officers of state police organizations, representatives of NGOs, performing arts, students and media.

Some of the suggestions, in addition to seeking changes in the law, which emerged were as follows:

" Fix duty protocol at all levels of police hierarchy;
" Importance of DNA test should be emphasized in addition to forensic tests;
" Increase the number of DNA testing and forensic science laboratories;
" Juvenile Justice Act provisions needed to be examined in the light of crimes committed by juveniles;
" Change orientation of doctors, while dealing with cases of rape victims only from the medico-legal angel;
" Seek amendment in NCW Act, if needed, to equip it with multi receiver helpline to be monitored by it;
" Re-look into the changing material, moral and ethical quotient;
" Film makers needed to desist from depicting male chauvinism through eve teasing and item numbers depicting women in poor light and women needed to refuse to be part of such creative expressions including advertisements;
" Media should help community radio for gender sensitization.

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