Sex offenders registry in Kerala
Governor says records of criminals will be made public
Thiruvananthapuram: In a first, the Kerala state government has decided to set up a sex offenders’ register in the public domain as a social deterrence against the increasing sex offences.
The state government has decided to set up a sex offenders register for the general public as a social deterrence against the increasing sex offences.
The announcement come days after an actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car while returning from a shooting site in Kochi.
In his address in the Assembly on Thursday, Governor P. Sathasivam said that it would be the first such initiative in the country.
“The increasing impunity of sex offences due to lack of social deterrence is a growing concern all over the country. To ensure deterrence, the government will set up a sex offenders register, which will maintain all identification details of sex offenders. It will be the first in the country and will be kept in public domain,” said the Governor.
“Though the Nirbhaya Cell under the department of social justice has been functioning commendably in the state, Kerala lacked a comprehensive victim relief fund,” he added.
“The government will set up a comprehensive victim relief fund to provide interim relief for victims of sex crimes, both children and adults,” the Governor said. Another initiative on women safety announced by the Governor was setting up of women police stations at taluk levels and enhancing women representation in police to 15 percent.
A woman police officer would regularly visit panchayats on a preannounced date, the Governor said.
The Governor also announced that the Nirbhaya centres would be enhanced and a comprehensive victim relief fund to provide relief to victims of sex crimes would be constituted.
The opening day of the Budget Session witnessed the Opposition raising banners and placards protesting against various issued like disruption ration supply, drought and women safety.