Chennai: Children in Tamil Nadu can now report of sexual harassment in an effective way, all thanks to the Madras high court. It has ordered the state government to set up a toll-free number for reporting instances of sexual crimes in schools and colleges.

The hearing came following a writ petition filed by a headmaster of a government girl’s school. Although the petition doesn’t have anything to do with sexual harassment, the court and the petitioner engaged in a discussion on the matter leading to the suggestion of the toll-free number.

The court has now ordered the education department to set up a toll-free number for receiving complaints from school and college students about instances of sexual harassment they may face.

The court further slammed authorities for not sensitively dealing with the increasing number of sexual crimes involving schoolchildren.

The judges said that such issues are not dealt with consistently.

“They (the authorities) are pretending to be sensitive, but actually not. If at all, the genuinity in sensitiveness is to be established, consistent and constant actions are to be initiated. No such actions are initiated. Contrarily, they are closing the issues by taking action in a particular case alone,” the judges said.

The judgment states that parents, students and even the public must be able to register a complaint immediately through the toll-free telephone Number which will be provided by the state.

The judgment also added that immediate inquiry must happen within 24 hours in the event of receiving such complaints.

Tamil Nadu government has been given eight weeks from the date of order to set up the toll-free number. The court said that the same has to be displayed in schools.

The order read that the first respondent (government of Tamil Nadu) is directed to display the said toll-free telephone numbers and the details of the authorities on the notice boards of all schools, educational institutions across the state of Tamil Nadu in bold letters in a visible place, which would be accessible to the parents, students and the public in general.