More than 70 film personalities, writers, advocates, journalists and activists have written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking him to sensitise the police to not force women survivors of sexual assault to pursue cases legally.
“The government has made no effort to sensitise the media and public to the possibility that women with legitimate complaints of crimes may not necessarily wish to explore legal options for multiple reasons. In the absence of such sensitisation, we believe the present atmosphere in the state is veering towards doubting the allegations of any woman who opts not to file a police complaint after going public with her grievances,” the statement reads.
The 72 signatories of the letter include actors Prakash Raj, Aparna Sen and Swara Bhaskar, singer Chinmayi Sripaada, writer-activist Arundhati Roy, senior advocates Vrinda Grover and Indira Jaisingh, and Malayalam writers Sarah Joseph, KR Meera and NS Madhavan, among others.
The Kerala government had formed a special investigation team (SIT) to look into cases of sexual assault which surfaced after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report on August 19. On the functioning of the SIT, the letter says: “It has come to our attention that some women in the industry who have shared their stories with the public and media are facing extreme pressure from the police to lodge official complaints. This is a deeply disturbing development. In all cases of sexual crimes, a survivor’s agency and mental health must be prioritised above all else. The government must strictly instruct the police and the SIT not to bulldoze women, to treat them with consideration and to act in their interests.”
The women have come out with their stories of harassment after the release of the report because “long-supressed memories were brought to the fore” after the release of the report. “It is likely that this moment, which has brought women together, has given them strength while circumstances in the past did not,” the letter reads.
Such coming out should be treated with sensitivity, the letter reads, and women should be given the option to deal with their experiences in the way they want. A police complaint is not always the solution, the letter insists.
The government must also provide counselling for all women who come out with their experiences, “irrespective of the path they take” in dealing with these experiences, the letter reads. The letter also states that the report has brought several bad practices in the industry — including lack of contracts and pay disparities — to the fore. These areas should be focused on, apart from dealing with cases of sexual harassment, the letter says.
Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates
