This story is from November 9, 2019

Tamil Nadu: Special police squad formed to counsel victims of sexual assault

The city police have assigned 70 women police personnel to provide counselling to victims of sexual assault in cases of Pocso (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) to monitor them closely.
Tamil Nadu: Special police squad formed to counsel victims of sexual assault
Police commissioner AK Viswanathan fixes a badge on a team member of the ‘Thozhi’ brigade on Friday.
CHENNAI: The city police have assigned 70 women police personnel to provide counselling to victims of sexual assault in cases of Pocso (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) to monitor them closely.
Police commissioner A K Viswanathan unveiled the scheme named 'Thozhi' to extend their support at a programme held at the commissioner's office on Friday.
This innovative initiative is the brainwave of north Chennai additional commissioner of police (law and order) R Dhinakaran.

The shortlisted police personnel will be provided a pink sari embedded with the Nirbhaya logo as a mark of safety.
There are 35 all-women police stations in Chennai city. Each police station shall have two women cops assigned to the 'Thozhi' scheme to keep a track of the victims of sexual assault, apart from giving psycho-social and psychiatric counselling and other possible assistance to them.
The police personnel in each AWPS Police station will visit the house of victims of sexual offences under the Pocso Act and rape cases periodically to render counselling and other legal assistance, including providing safety and security arrangements if the victims state they apprehend harm from the offender's side. This assistance will be pursued right from the registration stage to the conclusion of case trial in a court.
Joint commissioner of police, west zone, B Vijayakumari, Dr Shalini, a psychiatrist, Dr Andrew Sesuraj, professor of Loyola College, and H Jayalakshmi, deputy commissioner (crime against women and children) participated in the programme.
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