Constable Neera Devi has played a crucial role in assisting victims of sexual offences in nearly 600 cases over recent years as part of a state police initiative that offers support to victims as their cases progress through the courts.
Devi’s work centres on protecting young girls from trauma, particularly when the accused is a close family member or acquaintance, which occurs in over 90% of cases according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
As a victim and witness support officer at a fast-track court (POCSO) in Mandi district, Devi emphasises the importance of empathy and inspiring confidence in the children she helps. She often uses sign language with young girls who are unable to verbalise their experiences. For her outstanding work, Devi was recently awarded a commendation ‘Class–I’ certificate and a cash prize.
Himachal Pradesh is the first state in India to employ 26 female police constables as victim and witness support officers, providing a female interface to rape survivors and helping them navigate the legal system. These support officers act as a layer between the police, courts, and victims, offering security and confidence to the victims throughout the often lengthy and complex trial process.
The addition of victim and witness support officers aims to ensure speedy and effective prosecution of crimes and provide a compassionate female interface between victims, witnesses, prosecutors, and the court during the trial. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu, these officers enable victims to testify in court without fear or mental stress. As a result, there has been a decline in case backlog and expedited trials in the courts.
In the past ten months, 2,350 witnesses and 2,382 police personnel have testified in court. In 2022, there were 543 registered cases of rape and POCSO, with courts deciding on 170 cases and convicting 40% of the accused. In comparison, there were 612 registered cases in 2021, with courts delivering verdicts in
67 cases.