'Set up 125 courts for trying crimes against women'

The Legislature Committee on Women and Child Welfare has suggested setting up of 125 lower courts for speedy disposal of cases against women, besides a slew of measures to ensure the safety and security of the fair sex in the State.

Establishing a separate investigation cell in every police station for investigating crimes against women, launching a toll-free number to register women’s complaints, increased patrolling by Abhaya, Hoysala and Cheetah vehicles to check crimes against women, etc, are other measures recommended by the Committee whose report on atrocities against women for 2011-12/13 was tabled in the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

The decrease in crimes against women in 2012 compared with the previous year should not make the State casual towards women’s safety, the Committee noted.
The number of crimes against women dropped to 10,565 in 2012 compared with 11,134 in 2011. The figure had stood at 10,216 in 2010. The Committee has suggested better coordination between the judiciary and the police to provide speedy justice to victims.

Women complainants should be provided with a afe and secure environment at every police station. Besides, police personnel should be trained to behave courteously with complainants.

The data also shows a decline in the number of rapes over the past three years but the number of women who were murdered has gone up. An increase was also reported in attempts to murder and cases of immoral trafficking over the same period.

The Committee has also suggested roping in religious institutions to create awareness among citizens to check crimes against women.

It expressed concern over the Devadasi system which is still practised in at least 14 districts in the State. Data compiled by the Department of Women and Child Welfare for the period 1993-94 to 2007-08 show that the highest number of cases (5,774) were reported in Bellary district, followed by Bagalkot (4,408) and Raichur (3,103). Shimoga recorded the least number of cases (13).

Statistics

Atrocities against women in Karnataka

                               2010        2011    2012
Rape                          758        835       564
Murder                        585         558       715
Dowry deaths              354         363       219
Sexual abuse               3,014     3,227     2,960
Attempted murder         126        139       203
Immoral trafficking         242         351      336