Victims as well as witnesses in 35 cases of atrocities against Dalit and Adivasi women and girls on Wednesday shared their experiences of seeking justice, at a legal clinic organised by Dalit Sthree Sakthi (DSS) in Hyderabad.
The victims narrated their ordeals in cases involving murder, rape and cheating on the pretext of love. Senior government officials and representatives of civil society organisations attended the clinic as jury members, heard the grievances and assured the victims of support in pursuing their cases.
DSS national convener Jhansi Geddam presided over the clinic and coordinated the proceedings.
Director of Public Prosecutions Sambasiva Reddy commended the victims for their faith in the justice system and the Constitution. He assured them of assistance in prosecuting the cases and said special courts would be established in every district.
CEO of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty and Panchayat Raj Commissioner Divya Devarajan stressed the need for financial assistance to victims and said support would be extended through Sneha Cooperative Societies. She said SERP, in coordination with the Scheduled Castes Development Department (SCDD), would help victims secure bank loans.
SCDD Commissioner Vijayendra Boyi expressed anguish over the crimes and said such incidents reflect the prevailing regressive social conditions.
The government had sanctioned ₹40 crore towards compensation for victims of atrocities, with another ₹31 crore in the process of being sanctioned, she said. Assuring the victims of compensation and rehabilitation, she stressed that financial assistance alone was not enough and that justice must be secured in every case.
