Issue

Over 100 women from various fields ---journalists, writers, authors, teachers, lecturers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, home-makers,  researchers, farmers, social activists, policy experts, entrepreneurs, etc; penned a letter to the Chief Minisiter of Goa to express their anguish over the brutal rape and attempt to murder of a minor girl in the state, and called upon him to take action towards curbing such offences in the future.   

Open letter to the Chief Minister

Respected Dr. Pramod Sawant,

We feel heavy hearted as we write to you today -- for having failed as a society to save our daughter from the dastardly sexual violence committed on her by a fellow Goan. The brutal rape and attempt to murder of our 13-year-old daughter has jolted our collective conscience. We fail to understand the mindset and the environment that creates individuals who become impulse governed monsters -- like the 23-year-old accused in this case.

The unspeakable horror of the incident shows that we as a society that takes pride in its cultural heritage have failed. The bestiality and the barbarity involved in the rape and attempt to murder shows the depths of depravity that some of us Goans have sunk into. This is surely our darkest hour. Our sense of shame is all the more acute. 

We write to you today to express our rage over rapes and other crimes against women that Goa has increasingly been witnessing. We find the response of our Government inadequate and feeble. All the efforts of your government towards women empowerment seem pointless if our girls and women find themselves at risk of being molested, raped and murdered, if we fail to implement strategies to ensure safety of our women and children.

Sir, we urge you to act now -- to take this case with utmost seriousness, to handle this case with the strictness it warrants. Send a strong message to perpetrators that sexual violence cases are taken seriously and that justice will be swift and will always be served no matter who the accused is.
1.     Let the state machinery reach out to the family of the survivor.
2.     Deliver speedy justice to the survivor by fast-tracking the prosecution.
3.     There is no debating the fact that the offender must be taken to task and awarded the strictest punishment, which will act as deterrent to others.

At the heart of sexual violence against women and children lies the complex issue of a mindset of patriarchy and a culture of misplaced power dynamics that we need our law-makers and you to tackle at a systemic level. The Goa Children’s Act, 2003 was formulated to effectively address sexual abuse and exploitation of children by creating a space for a more robust and sensitive legal system. However, after 17 years since its introduction, the government has not addressed the implementation issues within this landmark legislation. While the Act calls for a number of special provisions and systems, very little has been done to build the capacity of the system to be able to implement the law.

To this end, we call upon you to do the following:1.     Renew your government’s pledge to offer protection to women and children so that they need not fear for their life and liberty and any threat to these will be extinguished with the full force of State authorities.
2.     Focus on strengthening existing legislations.
3.     Address judicial delays
4.     Sensitize police officials to deal with gender-based violence
5.     Simplify processes for reporting of crimes
6.     Equip One Stop Centres & Victim Assistance Units with infrastructure/resources as mandated
7.     Appoint chairperson to Goa State Women’s commission; strengthen the commission by providing an enabling environment to function without pressures
8.     Set up all-women-police desks at every police station in the state
9.     Make the South Goa Women Police Station functional with powers, personnel and infrastructure
10. Appoint chairperson to the State Police Complaints Authority

Lastly, we appeal to you to establish policies of zero tolerance for violence against women and children in the state of Goa.

We live in hope!

Thanking you,

Rajeshree Nagarsekar, Adv. Ashma Sayed, Sangeeta Naik, Geraldine Fernandes, Adv. Harsha Naik, Shobhika Jaju, Dr. Sophia Rodrigues, Dr. Sameena Falleiro, Dr. Sheetal Madaan, Roshan Bandekar, Pankti Jog, Rukma Naik, Shivleela Patil, Naman Sawant, Vrushali Kelekar, Charlane Periera, Ratika Naik, Savita Madani, Dr. Boddepalli Raghu, Suzan Vaz, Alka Damle, Dr. Sumitra Iyengar, Deeksha Desai, Dr. Loraine Benjamin, Percy Cardozo, Sharmila Prabhu, Priya Ambe, Maria D’Costa, Varsha Naik, Eulalia D’Mello, Linda Shirwaiker, Prerna Agarwal, Namita Volvatkar, Priya Sadekar, Priyadarshini Nayak, Aarti Chatterjee, Sushma Dhume, Ritika Borkar, Afreen Sayed, Sakshi Nagarsekar, Sonia Naik, Samina Mohammed, Shazia Karol, Arifa Sayed, Mehnaz Mohammed, Tahsina Shaik, Rashida bi, Halima Shaik, Faiza Sayed, Nikita Naik Madgaonkar, Durga Gaonkar, Vaishnavi Desai, Dumati Kumbhar Mudliyar, Radhika Naik, Jyoti Bowalkar, Arpan Warik, Ravina Kurtarkar, Bharti Gaunekar, Shubhangi Naik, Sachi Naique, Teja Arondekar, Manali Prabhu Gaonkar, Tejashree Amonkar, Manjita Madgaonkar, Madhavi Madgaonkar, Glynis Dias, Ambica Cuncolikar, Adv. Sneha Fadte, Aditi Karmalkar, Swejal Gauns Dessai, Tanuja Gaonkar, Roopali Naik, Nisha Gore, Kalita Rekdo, Mansi Naik, Renuka Chalwadi, Nisha Ghadi, Priyanka Mhapkar, Sulaksha Dhamekar, Kavita Velip, Vishakha Fadte, Manisha Pereira, Pratiksha Gaonkar, Amrita Mandrekar, Vidisha Gosavi, Shubham Bhandari, Flavia Fernandes, Sharmila Shinde, Sonal Akhadkar, Sonal Simepuruskar, Shantakumari Chikurthi, Pranita Kamat, Deepika Naik, Adv. Sangita Gaonkar, Renuka Vitkar, Soniya Borkar, Sonali Patil, Gaurisha Naik, Geetanjali Naik..