From mapping Bengaluru to highlight ‘crime black spots’ to revamping women’s police stations, the 31-member committee on women’s safety presented its recommendations here on Sunday.
After having spoken to over 1,700 people, including victims and members of NGOs, the committee headed by former Law Minister M.C. Nanaiah suggested that the map could mark areas known to be unsafe for women as ‘danger zones’. The police have done a similar mapping of accident spots for Bengaluru and other districts, said Jija Hari Singh, member of the committee and former Director-General of Fire and Emergency Services.
The committee, formed to suggest amendments to laws related to sexual assault cases and enhance punishment, has said that support centres for rape victims should be set up in all district hospitals. Two of them should be established at Bowring hospital and K.C. General Hospital in Bengaluru. These will have facilities for medical check-up, collection of evidence to be sent to forensic labs, provision for filing a police complaint, and providing counselling to the victim.
Speaking during a workshop on women’s safety and security organised by the State government and Synergia Foundation, Ms. Singh said electronic kiosks with facilities enabling women to lodge complaints have also been recommended.
She said the committee had suggested three “novel ideas”, including more constables deployed to deal with women’s issues and drawing up a citizen’s charter as is done in the U.K. The charter, which is put up in public transport, has guidelines about women’s safety and details the steps to be taken if a crime occurs.
