GFP Women Leaders Slam Government Over Rising Crimes Against Women and Children, Demand Women’s Police Stations in Every Taluka

Women leaders of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) have strongly criticised the state government over the alleged deterioration of law and order in Goa, expressing concern over the rising incidents of crimes against women and children. Addressing a press conference in Margao on Monday, GFP Women Forward leader Adv. Ashma Bi, party leader Dr. Renuka Dennis Da Silva and Margao Municipal Council (MMC) councillor Pooja Naik questioned the government’s response to recurring cases of violence, including the recent alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old child, the brutal assaults reported in Benaulim and incidents involving law enforcement personnel.

Adv. Ashma Bi said that women and children no longer feel safe moving around freely in the state, highlighting how fear has replaced the sense of security that Goans once enjoyed. She questioned the effectiveness of preventive policing and pointed to inadequate street lighting and the lack of regular night patrols in public places and market areas. She also expressed concern over cases involving personnel entrusted with public safety, stating that such incidents further weaken people’s confidence in law enforcement and the justice system.

Dr. Renuka Dennis Da Silva referred to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, claiming that crime rates against women and children in Goa remain high, while the conviction rate is below 10 per cent. She argued that the low conviction rate raises serious questions about the effectiveness of investigations and prosecution, and demanded accountability from the Home Department instead of routine assurances.

GFP leader and MMC councillor Pooja Naik highlighted alleged shortcomings in police response and patrolling, claiming that police personnel took more than 20 minutes to reach an emergency location that was barely five minutes away from the police station. She also criticised the functioning of the Pink Force, alleging that patrol vehicles were often found parked rather than actively monitoring vulnerable locations such as bus stops, markets and other public spaces.

The GFP leaders also questioned the effectiveness of the State Commission for Women and the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in addressing such incidents. They demanded stringent action against government employees and police personnel allegedly involved in serious crimes, including termination from service instead of temporary suspension, and maintained that political connections should not protect anyone from accountability.

As part of their demands, the women leaders called for dedicated and fully operational Women’s Police Stations in every taluka, mandatory safety assessments and streetlight audits across municipal and panchayat areas, stronger police patrolling and time-bound investigations with fast-tracked prosecution. They urged the government to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of women and children and restore public confidence in Goa’s law enforcement system.