The alarming number of molestation and rape cases coming to light make it apparent that no matter how many cops are on alert, or what the occasion is, or how "appropriately" you are dressed, nothing really matters.
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Also, women avoid filing any police complaint about eve-teasing or molestation incidents, opting instead to go about the whole thing as if nothing happened, because of the response they get when they try to approach the police for help.
One of the worst things I personally faced is not being paid attention to while I was giving my statement, both verbally and in writing.
The incident happened on an ordinary day, when I was walking on the street, enjoying an egg-veg roll with a friend. All of a sudden, three teenaged boys passed by me on a white scooty, touching me inappropriately. When I shouted at them, they stopped the vehicle at a distance, showed me the middle finger and sped away. There was no street light at that spot, and hence I couldn't see their faces clearly or note down the number of the vehicle.
I took time off from my office to visit the police. I had the courage to be open to them about it. However, I discovered that the police act in an insensitive manner and ask uncomfortable questions. I was made to narrate the sequence of events to various officers one by one, and called to the police station for subsequent visits. To make their job easier, I even informed them of a CCTV that was installed near the scene of the crime. But then, I had to accompany the policemen to the spot more than once, and narrate the incident, a few more times. During all this, no policeman missed an opportunity to rebuke me for staying out in late evening. After about a week, the police claimed that I had asked for the case to be dropped. Despite my refusal, no headway was made.
The experience made me understand why women don't opt to go to the police and ask for help. People read about the incident and forget it, the case gets shut eventually and yet another news regarding a similar incident pops up the next day. This is perhaps why victims of crimes against women prefer to keep mum. They probably realise that no one can undo what happened to them, but they at least would not have to go through the painful moments all over again, wasting their time and energy, and see no expected results in the end.
