CHENNAI: The Singappen Special Force (SSF) of the Tamil Nadu Police attended 1,045 complaints concerning the safety and protection of women and children in September and helped register 75 cases through its intervention, according to a police press release issued on Friday.
The SSF, a dedicated unit for the safety and protection of women and children, traced 15 missing women and 16 missing children between September 1 and 30. The team also conducted 2,812 awareness programmes in educational institutions, 11,787 programmes at other locations and 706 sessions among migrant labourers.
The force made repeated visits to 57,183 identified hotspots to strengthen preventive measures. It also rescued 25 persons with intellectual disabilities, including 22 females and three males, prevented seven child marriages and facilitated the re-enrolment of 227 school dropouts.
In a notable incident on September 27, an SSF team on patrol in Flower Bazaar apprehended a man accused of allegedly sexually harassing a 19-year-old woman who had alighted from a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus. The accused was handed over to the jurisdictional police and remanded in judicial custody.
In another incident, an SSF team conducting an awareness programme at a school in Tenkasi found that a 17-year-old Class XII student had been absent for two months. An enquiry revealed that two neighbours had allegedly sexually assaulted and threatened her on several occasions, causing her to stop attending school. The Child Welfare Committee was informed, and a case was registered. The accused were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
On September 29, an SSF team in Koyambedu responded to a complaint from a woman who alleged that a person had recorded her on a mobile phone without her consent. The team informed the police station concerned and assisted her in lodging a complaint. The accused was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, the SSF has announced a short film competition for university and college students to raise awareness about women's and children's safety. The last date for submissions is October 10. The themes include men's role in women's safety, bystander intervention and society's role in preventing crimes against women and children.