Mysuru: Speaking after inaugurating the exclusive “Child Abuse Response Unit” which is first of its kind in a hospital at JSS Hospital here on Thursday he said, “Police at the station deal with so much of deception that they have lost faith on complainants. When a complaint comes to them there is always a suspicion. This mindset needs to be broken and it is here that sensitisation of police becomes very important. Police even see deception in a regular complaint. With this culture of suspicion we cannot deal with children in distress. The exercise to sensitise police will be taken up and it can’t be done overnight but will be done gradually”.
“Before POCSO Act was introduced, the police station heads used to take up the case instantly and they were assisted by the Child Welfare Committee and NGOs concerned. But after the introduction of POCSO Act in 2012, it exerted extra pressure on the police chiefs. The earlier Acts were not in tune with changed times but POCSO Act holistically deals with most of the issues. It deals with a variety of offenses including pornography and also puts liability on police. A lot of empowerment is given to police through POCSO Act. Here, not only the police department plays a peripheral role in addressing the cases of child abuse but also various other agencies including medical staff and NGOs too plays a pivotal role. Child Abuse Response Unit will bridge the gap between various agencies and act as a single platform to take care of child abuse cases” added top cop.
On the occasion, he also lauded Dr Roshini Suresh, a medical student from JSS Medical College who is the brain child behind setting up of Child Abuse Response Unit. He also appreciated the institution for encouraging the student’s interest and making it a reality. This unit aims to provide a safe environment with individuals who are specifically trained and sensitised to address the issue of child abuse and protect the interest of children. In future, the hospital is also planning to set up such units for elderly persons and also women. Experts from M S Ramaiah Medical College Dr Chandrika Rao, Dr Jessica Fernandes, Dr Vaishnavi and Dr Akshith Raj Shetty imparted training to staff members of Child Abuse Response Unit.
Dr Ravi, Managing Director, JSS Hospital, District Child Protection Officer K Padma, Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare K Radha and Sheela Khare of Child Welfare Committee were also present.
