1090 to counsel incest victims

LUCKNOW: Avantika was physically abused by her uncle for two years but didn’t have the courage to speak up till she learnt her 19-year-old sister was also being victimized. When she confronted him, Nandan threatened to make her photos, which he had clicked by deceit, public.
Avantika lodged a complaint with Women Power Line 1090 that made sure Nandan was not only arrested but sent to jail as well.
This 25-year-old isn’t a lone victim of incest. In fact, the Women Power Line 1090 receives around 10 complaints of incest every month, rising from a mere two six months ago. The age bracket of the majority of the accused is 30 to 50 years.
To strengthen the voice of such victims, officials at Women Power Line 1090 would carry out counseling session for incest victims. The pilot projects of Asha Jyoti Kendra, to be launched in 14 districts including Lucknow, would provide one-stop financial security and moral support to those braving it out.
“There are hundreds of victims who are harassed by their close relatives but could never voice their complaint. It’s a bold step that a woman is forced to take against a family member or a relative, and she needs all the support she can get. Once a centralized system is in place, more cases of incest would come out,” said Women Power Line 1090 circle officer Babita Singh.
Another case last month was that of 20-year-old who was being sexually exploited by her 40-year-old uncle. Umesh started out by blackmailing his niece Shruti over the phone using an unknown number. He managed to obtain her photographs and later exploited her sexually. Shruti, who was afraid to speak up first, reported the matter to Women Power Line 1090 with the help of her cousin. Umesh has since been arrested and sent to jail.