International Women's Day: Hyderabad Police launches support centre for victims of violence

Hyderabad: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Hyderabad City Police on Tuesday announced formation of ‘Bharosa’, a support center for providing protection to women and children subjected to violence. ‘Bharosa’ will support victims at different levels under one roof by providing integrated assistance through Police, Medical, Legal, and Prosecution Services along with Psycho therapeutic Counselling and relief and rehabilitation as per her requirements, Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahendar Reddy told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_2663392” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Aggrieved Women and Children subjected to violence due to attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honour related crimes, acid attacks or witch-hunting who reach out or are referred to the Centre will be provided with specialized services, the CP explained. “As of now the victims are made to approach different agencies in search of relief which is quite cumbersome and painful due to non availability of suitable support system. As per current practice, a victim of sexual violence accompanied or unaccompanied) has to go to a police station to lodge a complaint regarding the incident which may take between 6-10 hours,” Reddy said. There is no provision for immediate, comprehensive and professional psychological or legal counselling for such victims, he said. As an initiative, the Hyderabad City Police proposed to Telangana government to permit to establish a Society through public private partnership utilising the best expertise available in the City to render the best possible solution in the least possible time to each issue confronting the women and child, Reddy said. Accordingly, the government permitted to establish a society for protection of women and children (Bharosa) and it will be formally inaugurated very soon, he said. Bharosa is intended to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture will be facilitated with support and guidance, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT) Swati Lakra said. “Bharosa — Support Centre will work on a holistic convergence approach where a victim in distress will get all the help and support at one place,” she said adding this is to ensure that victims of the most grievous forms of sexual violence are provided support in the first phase. The Hyderabad Police Chief, in the meanwhile, launched the centre’s website: www.bharosahydpolice.org. PTI