IMPHAL, October 24: The Manipur Alliance for Childs Rights today called a press conference at the Hotel Imphal Conference hall over certain issues pertaining to news reporting of rape cases and other certain issues related to the crime.
Speaking to media persons, Manipur Alliance for Child Rights, convener Keisam Pradipkumar lamented the “supererogatory exposure of the rape victims in print and electronic media”.
He said, while the MACR has always valued all kinds of efforts that strive to bring justice to the victims of rape, it also acknowledges the need of capacitating the victims to speak out their ordeals in order to book the perpetrators and make the crime public.
“However, it cannot remain silent, over any way of supererogatory exposure of the rape victims in print and electronic media, particularly in the recent case of Khoupum Rape Case”, he said.
He continued that the four rape victims were first exposed before the media at Langol on October 18. Besides, publishing photographs(faces wrapped with scarfs), some newspapers disclosed the victims home address, school`s name, classes of the victims vividly, which are actually leading to easy identification of the rape victims, he further lamented.
He continued that in the succeeding episode of exposure the victims were shown in local cable network with enwrapped faces, when they were met by Chairperson and Members of Manipur State Commission for Women.
MACR sincerely feel that, the crucial campaign of the Khoupum Women and the interview of the victims by the team of the MSCW would have been more rational and appreciable, if such undesirable disclosure and media exposure were duly censored, he continued.
Quoting Section 21 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 amended 2006 which categorically prohibits publication of name, address, school, picture or any other particulars calculated to lead to the identification of the juvenile (Juvenile in Conflict with Law) or child (Child in Need of Care and Protection) involved in any proceeding under the Act, he appealed to all stake holders, including the media fraternity, are appealed to respect the privacy of the victims, to follow reasonable censorship, considering the possible negative impacts upon the victims` psyche, question of social stigmatizing, which may ultimately leav . a long term psychological trauma and scare in the lives of the victims.
Continuing on other related issues faced by a rape victim, the convener urged the state authorities and the Manipur State AIDS Control Society, medical department and others to provide the victims with the option for HIV testing, counselling and immediate HIV treatment facilities to the rape victims, in line with facilities given under “Post Exposure Prophylaxis” for Health Care Worker available in the hospitals.
He continued that compulsory HIV testing for accused (rapist) should also be formalised.
The possible transmission of HIV virus from the culprits (Rapist) to the rape victims can be prevented only when such mandatory norms are adhered without any discrimination, he continued.
He has further appealed to the state authorities to put a check on the restaurants which have become a haven of bad things. He said that the MACR is not against the restaurants but feels that they should not have dark rooms as it encourages all kinds of bad things.
He appealed to the state government to bring a state policy to check the presence of dark rooms or other inappropriate items inside restaurants in the state.
Coming back to a recent rape related issue at Chandel, he appealed to the Samukon Village authority to quash its edict imposing Rs 50000 against a Child Rights activist identified as Hechin Haokip for filing an FIR against two persons who had molested two girls on May 11, 2012 in between Samukom and Sita village, Chandel.
He said, “It is so evident that certain customary practice in the tribal inhibited regions that settles criminal cases including rape and molestation of girls and women with offering of Pigs, Mithun, Buffaloes, or cash “WAKONGSEN” by the accused, are becoming stumbling blocks to child rights/ human rights protection movement in the state”.
He also appealed to all concern including certain meira paibees who use to outrage rape victims by haircutting, tonsuring, assaulting and parading in public to stop such actions.
It is high time that obsolete customary laws and practices are reformed and repealed and understand that criminal laws supersede the customary practices, he added.