Child sex abuse: Rights panel rejects plaint over cops’ repeat tests

Panaji: The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) on Tuesday rejected a complaint against Goa police that was filed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), North Goa, that a child survivor of sexual abuse was subjected to repeated psychological tests.
The committee also complained that the behaviour of police was impolite towards its chairperson. It said it had informed the women’s police station that the assessment of the minor had been done, and police could collect the report from the doctor.
The SP of the women’s police station rejected all claims made by the committee and stated that the survivor was taken for counselling to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour in accordance with the directions of the gynaecology department of GMC.
It was the case of the CWC that since the girl’s assessment was already done by the authorities at Apna Ghar, a repeat evaluation was not required. The GHRC disposed of the complaint, stating that it did not find police having violated the human rights of the survivor.
“We expect better cooperation between the complainant and the respondent in future when dealing with victims of sexual abuse,” Desmond D’Costa, acting chairperson and Pramod V Kamat, member of the commission, said in the order.
Also, police said they were polite in all their interactions with the CWC chairperson and its members.