Kerala Police has launched the Speak Up task force to address domestic violence through confidential complaint mechanisms, dedicated investigating officers and coordinated support for survivors, including counselling, legal assistance, safe accommodation and livelihood assistance. Inspector General Ajeetha Begum has been given special charge of the initiative.
The task force is intended to help women who face difficulty lodging complaints because of economic dependence, family pressure or safety concerns. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the police would work to ensure that no woman was denied justice because of such barriers.
Under the new approach, officers responding to domestic violence information will contact survivors in civilian dress, with privacy treated as a central part of the intervention. A specific officer will be assigned to each case and will personally monitor its progress, including access to counselling and livelihood support. The officer is expected to assess the case at least once a week.
The Home Department order announcing the initiative said 92 women had died in Kerala because of domestic violence over the past seven years. The task force will assist complainants in understanding how to file a complaint, what legal assistance is available and how subsequent proceedings will be handled.
A central command centre is also planned to support faster registration of complaints and timely assistance. The system will include a digital helpline, WhatsApp access and a dedicated mobile application. Police said survivors’ personal details would be kept confidential, with protections modelled on provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The initiative also proposes shelter homes and employment training centres in cooperation with local self-government institutions. These facilities are intended to address two practical barriers that can prevent survivors from leaving unsafe households: the lack of secure accommodation and the absence of independent income. The police have not provided details in the announcement on the number, location or operating model of the proposed shelters and training centres.
Speak Up will combine police intervention with referrals for counselling, legal support and rehabilitation. The stated objective is not only to strengthen action in domestic violence cases but also to create a safer way for women to seek help before or during the complaint process.
Ajeetha Begum said stringent measures were being considered against people convicted in domestic violence cases. These could include denial of police clearance certificates and passports, although the announcement did not specify the legal process or conditions under which such measures would be applied.
The programme has been presented as a continuation of Kerala’s institutional focus on women’s policing. The state introduced a women police system in 1973. Its immediate implementation will depend on the establishment of the command centre, the assignment of case officers and coordination between the police and local self-government institutions on shelters and employment training centres.
