Hotline ‘109’ handles over 1,000 complaints of violence against women and children in two months

Over 1,000 complaints were handled by the Police hotline ‘109’, since its launch in January, to attend to calls from women and children who have been subject to acts of violence and crime, Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa told the Daily News yesterday (25).

The 24/7 hotline, launched on January 4, was established by the Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women and is operated by a special unit with only female police officers attending to calls to receive complaints related to violence against children and women.

DIG Thalduwa said that calls have been received from all over the country, and predominantly from the Western and Southern Provinces.

Since its launch on January 4 till March 10, a total of 1,077 complaints have been reported and 477 cases have been completed with 42 complaints having been filed. Eight complaints have been forwarded to the Conciliation Board and investigations are being carried out in relation to 550 complaints, DIG Thalduwa further said.

According to Thalduwa, teenagers who have practical difficulties and are unable to go to the police stations to lodge complaints on acts of violence perpetrated on them have now been given the opportunity to file complaints through the email address cwb.online@police.gov.lk and hotline number ‘109’ to protect their confidentiality.

Thalduwa requested women and children in the country who have undergone any type of violence and have been victimized, to never hesitate to pick up the phone and dial ‘109’ to lodge their complaints or to send them via email, as they will be handled with absolute confidentiality.

The post Hotline ‘109’ handles over 1,000 complaints of violence against women and children in two months appeared first on DailyNews.