Preventing rape of minors tough as most accused known to victims: Odisha DGP

Odisha DGP R P Sharma has said that incidents of rape of minor girls are "extremely difficult" to prevent as the accused in over 90 per cent of the cases happen to be the victims' relatives or acquaintances.

Prompt investigation, immediate arrest of the accused and early filling of charge sheet followed by close monitoring of prosecution, and an increase in the rate of conviction shall act as great deterrent measure, Sharma said today.

"In about 92.5 per cent of all sexual assaults of minor girls in the state in April so far, the offenders turned out to be either relatives or acquaintances of the victims and belong to same local community," Sharma told reporters here.

"This makes it very challenging for the police and it is extremely difficult to prevent such occurrences," he said.

Incidents of rape of minor girls is on the rise in Odisha and six such instances were reported in a week this month. Those incidents were reported from Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.

Faced with criticism from the opposition, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said in the assembly that his government is committed to providing security to women and children of the state.

The DGP also admitted that to increase the rate of conviction, the quality of investigation needed to be improved.

Although several guidelines have been issued in the past, a comprehensive review of the current situation was made yesterday to sharpen the police action, he said.

"Elaborate and exhaustive instructions have been issued to all district and range police heads to bring a sense of urgency and fix deadlines for investigating and supervising police officers handling the sensitive cases of sexual assaults," the DGP said.

Sharma claimed that in about 70 per cent of sexual assault cases reported in April so far, the accused persons were arrested within 24 hours of registration of the FIR.