Published Oct 08, 2026 | 1:36 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2026 | 1:36 PM
The initiative is designed to make it easier for women to speak about their experiences in a safe environment.
Synopsis: Kerala Police will set up ‘Speak Up’, a special task force to help women facing domestic violence with legal aid, counselling, safe accommodation and livelihood support. The initiative, under IG Ajitha Begum IPS and senior women police officers, will allow survivors to seek help privately, with officers contacting them in plain clothes and monitoring cases weekly.
The Kerala Police will set up a special task force, ‘Speak Up’, to prevent domestic violence and provide survivors with legal aid, counselling, safe accommodation and livelihood assistance, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Thursday.
IG Ajitha Begum IPS has been given special charge of the initiative. The task force will function under senior women police officers and focus particularly on women who are unable to approach the police formally because of fear, financial dependence or family pressure.
It will provide a safe mechanism for women to seek help, understand the process for filing complaints and access legal assistance.
The Minister said domestic violence is a “silent killer” that destroys women mentally and physically. He said the police would intervene decisively to ensure that no woman was denied justice because of financial or family-related fears.
In the past seven years, 92 women have died in Keralam as a result of domestic violence, he added. Many others continue to remain silent without filing complaints because of fear. The initiative is intended to prevent such cases and ensure timely intervention, he said.
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A key feature of ‘Speak Up’ is the focus on survivors’ privacy and safety. Moving away from conventional police procedures, officers will contact survivors in plain clothes after receiving information about a case.
The initiative is designed to make it easier for women to speak about their experiences in a safe environment, similar to confiding in a sister or a trusted friend.
Officers assigned to individual cases will personally monitor their progress every week, including the provision of counselling and livelihood support. They will also explain the complaint process, available legal aid and subsequent procedures to survivors.
Home Department officials said a proposal was also under consideration to take strict measures against those convicted in domestic violence cases, including the possibility of denying them police clearance certificates and passports.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
