Mysuru: The District Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad opened ‘District Women Special Treatment Centre (DWSTC),’ a one-stop facility for victims of sexual assault, in the presence of elected representatives, District Judges and bureaucrats at the State-run Cheluvamba Hospital in city on Sunday November 2.

DWSTC has been set up by Women and Child Welfare Department in association with District Legal Services Authority, Police Department and Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI).

Inaugurating the Centre, the District Minister said that the Centre which will be open 24X7 will provide free treatment, check up and medicines besides taking steps to file First Information Report (FIR).

Stating that the DWSTC will give counselling by psychologists and NGOs, legal aid from advocates and provide safe accommodation to victims of sexual assaults, he added that the Centre with two rooms each for medical examination and counselling will also take care of the victims’ rehabilitation and compensation to them.

Cheluvamba Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. S. Radhamani, speaking on the occasion, said that the DWSTC would help avoid another round of harassment that sexual assault victims usually go through and added that people from across the district and even outside can approach the Centre for aid.

Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha, MLA M.K. Somashekar, ZP President Dr. Pushpa Amarnath and others were present during the occasion.