Some cops still mocking abuse victims, complains Awam

Awam programme and operations manager Nisha Sabanayagam receiving the RM10,000 donation from Kampung Tunku state assemblyperson Lim Yi Wei.

PETALING JAYA: Many abused women don’t lodge reports due to the attitude of a handful of police officers who mock them.

All Women’s Action Society (Awam) programme and operations manager Nisha Sabanayagam said this behaviour prevents victims from lodging reports.

“A handful of frontliners at police stations still make insensitive remarks to victims.

“They pass comments that what they were wearing may have invited such a response from the men,” she told reporters here today after receiving a RM10,000 donation from Kampung Tunku state assemblyperson Lim Yi Wei.

She said such an attitude further tramautises abuse victims. Awam could help in training these frontliners to better handle abuse victims.

Nisha said victims were sometimes abused by their parents, siblings or spouse.

“It’s just not cases of a husband abusing a wife,” she said.

Awam, which was set up 30 years ago, receives about five calls a day from people of all walks of life. The highest number of calls come from those aged between 31 and 40, she said.

“Sometimes, we get calls while the women and children are being abused.

“The man could be harassing them or, if she manages to lock the door, we can hear the banging on the door while talking to them on the phone,” she said.

Nisha said the RM10,000 allocation will be used to upgrade their phones which are old and often get disconnected while talking to victims.

Awam also helps victims, who are mostly from the middle-income group, to obtain legal advice and counselling.

Delay in tabling Sexual Harassment Bill

Nisha also said the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), which Awam is part of, was disappointed with Putrajaya over the delay in tabling the Sexual Harassment Bill at the Dewan Rakyat.

In a statement distributed during the press conference, JAG said the government had committed to tabling the Sexual Harassment Bill this year but no deadline has been given.

“We urge the government to commit to a clear timeline and table the bill by this November,” it stated.

JAG wants the government to refine details in the bill to include a clear definition of sexual harassment based on international best practices and not just rehash from the Penal Code. - FMT