Thiruvananthapuram: Police have formed a special task force, Speak Up, to prevent domestic violence and ensure safety and support for survivors, with IG Ajeetha Begum given special charge of the initiative.Preventing domestic violence, providing legal assistance and counselling to survivors, and ensuring safe accommodation and livelihood support are among its main objectives. Besides ensuring strong intervention in domestic violence cases, the task force will provide a mechanism for women who face difficulties in lodging complaints to seek help safely.Home minister Ramesh Chennithala said domestic violence destroyed women mentally and physically, and police would ensure that no woman was denied justice because of economic or family-related fears.Moving away from conventional policing procedures, the intervention will prioritise survivors’ privacy. Once information about a case is received, police officers will contact survivors in civilian dress. Officers will be specifically assigned to each case and will personally assess the progress of the case, including counselling and livelihood support, once a week.A central command centre will be set up to enable complaints to be registered quickly and ensure timely assistance through a digital helpline, WhatsApp and a dedicated mobile application. Survivors’ personal details will be kept completely confidential, similar to the provisions under the Pocso Act.Police also plan to establish shelter homes and employment training centres in cooperation with local self-govt institutions.An order issued by the home department in this regard said 92 women had died in the state due to domestic violence in the past seven years. Speak Up will assist complainants in understanding how to lodge a complaint, the legal assistance available to them and how further proceedings will be carried out.The initiative is described as another major step in Keralam’s police history, which saw the introduction of a women police system in the country in 1973. Ajeetha Begum said stringent measures were being considered against those convicted in domestic violence cases, including denial of police clearance certificates and passports.
