People accused in many heinous crimes get acquitted during trial as witnesses and victims turn hostile, said Ravi. D. Channannavar, Superintendent of Police.
A major reason for decrease in the rate of conviction was frequent changes in the stands taken by victims and witnesses, he said at the inaugural function of the district-level programme to spread awareness on child safety, organised by the Department of Public Instruction here on Tuesday.
Many victims would name the accused and give statements against them during police inquiry. When the case came up for hearing in court after filing the charge sheet, they altered their statements, which would be in favour of the accused. “In several cases, people try to safeguard the accused through compromise. Such people should understand that they are not only deceiving themselves but also encouraging criminals,” he said.
In the cases related to rape of minor girls, parents refuse to file cases because of a social stigma and bias. “I appeal to the public to come forward and file cases in the interest of society. Schools should not try to hush up cases, if any, reported on their premises,” he said.
The Police Department had issued directions to schools to install CCTV cameras and provide details of staff members working in the institutions to police station. “Many schools have not followed the instructions so far. The department will hold the teachers and school managements responsible for any instances of rape and sexual assault that may happen,” he said.
V.M. Kantharaju, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, said the child safety week was inaugurated at the State-level on Monday. Programmes had been drawn up for the entire week. The taluk-level programme would be held on Wednesday and over the next three days, school-level programmes would be conducted. The purpose of the programme was to educate schoolchildren on their safety, he said.
V. Geeta, Child Protection Officer, told students not to keep quiet if someone misbehaved with them. “As an officer, I have come across schoolchildren refusing to complain either with their parents or with teachers about sexual assault. They should not hesitate to share their problems,” she said. H.S. Prakash, Hassan MLA; Lakshman Gowda, vice-president of zilla panchayat and B.R. Satyanarayana, ZP standing committee president were present.
