Sign language experts to be part of teams probing rape cases in West Bengal

Kolkata Police have come up with a unique idea to overcome the challenge of communicating with hearing and speech impaired survivors in rape and molestation cases during the investigation. Often the communication issue results in lack of investigation in case diaries. So the the police will now include sign language experts in the probe team.

KOLKATA:Kolkata Police have come up with a unique idea to overcome the challenge of communicating with hearing and speech impaired survivors in rape and molestation cases during the investigation. Often the communication issue results in lack of investigation in case diaries. Kolkata Police has decided to appoint or hire sign language experts who will help the investigating officers in communicating with the victims in such cases.

The idea struck the top brass of the city police after successfully closing the probe in the case of rape of a hearing and speech impaired in the city at a place under Pragati Maidan Police stations within 48 hours of the incident. Officials of the detective department of the city police probing the case took the help of a sign language expert.

With the help of that expert, the investigating sleuths successfully communicated with the survivor and in a very short period of time closed the case by arresting the culprit.

Sources from the city police’s headquarter told ETV Bharat previously too the investigating sleuths have taken help of sign language experts in cases where the victim was mute. “But that help was totally unofficial and none of those experts was members of the city police forces. But now the top brass of the city police is mulling the idea to appoint at least one expert in each of the nine divisions of the city police, so that when such cases involving deaf and mute victims pop up, the investigating sleuths will have such experts and immediate aide,” said a Kolkata Police official on condition of anonymity.

Welcoming the decision, former deputy superintendent of police, Ajay Mukherjee said that communicating with the hearing and sp eech impaired survivors becomes the main problem for the investigating sleuths and this problem often delays the probe process. “So appointment of sign language experts as aides will surely simplify and add speed in cases of investigations involving deaf and mute victims,” Mukherjee said.

A source from the detective department of city police said that in the Pragati Maidan Police Station case too, the investigating sleuths faced this problem in communicating with the hearing and speech impaired survivor. “So then we caught hold of a sign language expert, who successfully interacted with the victims and explained the investigating sleuths of what the victim was trying to convey. It worked like a miracle and in no time the case was closed,” he said.

He also said that a meeting with the deputy commissioners of the nine divisions of the city police the final decision on this count will be taken.

Sources said that often deaf and mute survivors of rape or molestation feel shy in interacting with the investigating officials since the latter is ignorant of the sign languages that the victim understand. “Thus the investigation official fails in taking the victims in confidence. However, a sign language expert can take the victim in confidence within a short period and the hearing and speech impaired victims can communicate to them without any inhibition, he said.