Steps taken to prevent such incidents
Panaji : The Goa Police registered 12 cases of sexual assault on girl students in the last over five years. However, the police filed closure reports in three cases while one case resulted in acquittal. The remaining eight cases are pending trial.
As per police records, the incidents had allegedly occurred in school premises, school buses, public transport and other areas. After investigation, the police submitted ‘A Final’ reports in two cases and C Final report in one case before the court.
A police officer explained that A Final report is filed when the accused could not be traced or find any evidence in the case, while C Final report is filed when the incident is neither true nor false or it arises from a mistake of fact.
To stop sexual assault on girl students in school premises and other areas, directions were issued to schools and colleges to carry out strict monitoring of staff, visitors and strangers, alongside mandatory background checks, with police verification of all staffers.
They have been asked to deploy female attendants in school buses and to conduct background checks and safety training for drivers and helpers.
Regular patrolling is done in and around school premises during opening and closing hours by the police. There has been coordination with school managements for the installation and monitoring of CCTV cameras in school premises and school buses wherever applicable. The police said around 577 schools and higher secondary schools have installed CCTV cameras in the premises.
The Directorate of Education issued a circular to schools stipulating guidelines for safety measures in educational institutions.
The police said awareness programmes are conducted by Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) Panaji in collaboration with NGOs for the students of schools and colleges in Goa to create awareness about human trafficking including topics on POSH, POCSO, and cybercrime on existing laws to protect child rights and to prevent crime against children which may occur in school and college premises and public places.
POCSO sections added in obscene videos case after political intervention
Curchorem: Soham Sushant Naik (21), arrested by the Curchorem police in connection with the alleged obscene videos case, was produced before the JMFC, Quepem, and remanded to four days’ police custody for further investigation. Quepem DySP Ashish Shirodkar visited the Curchorem police station, after which Sections 8, 12 and 15(2) of the POCSO Act and Section 8(2) of the Goa Children’s Act were applied. P 5
