The Bombay High Court (HC) on Tuesday, August 27, focused on the urgent need for changing male perspectives and increasing gender equality awareness from an early age. The court stated that boys should be educated about right and wrong behaviour.
The court was reviewing a case involving the sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a preschool school in Badlapur (East). This case was taken up suo motu, which means that the court acted on its own. Judges Revati Mohite Dere and Prithiviraj Chavan talked about the presence of male dominance and chauvinism in society.
The judges stressed that gender sensitisation should start in pre-primary schools. According to the bench, current measures like the Nirbhaya laws won’t be effective unless children are educated at home and in schools. The judges said that boys need to be taught to respect women from a young age.
To address these issues, the court suggested forming a committee. The proposed committee would consist of a retired police officer, a retired judge, a retired school principal, a female IPS officer, and a member of the Child Welfare Committee. This committee would investigate the matter and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The court also expressed dissatisfaction with how the Badlapur police initially handled the case. The judges criticised the police for asking one of the victims and her family to visit the police station to give a statement instead of visiting their home. They described this as a major failure in the investigation.
The Advocate General, Birendra Saraf, announced that three police officers involved in the investigation had been suspended. He also mentioned that the accused had been married three times and that statements from his wives had been recorded.
Regarding the security camera footage from the school, Saraf informed the court that the hard drive had been located and was under inspection. The court was particularly unhappy that the victims were initially examined by a male doctor.
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