Madurai, Tamil Nadu 08/06/2026.Demanding better policing to prevent crime against women and children DYFI, SFI members submitted petition with Madurai Collector P. Akash on Monday.. Photo; Moorthy G / The Hindu

| Photo Credit: MOORTHY G

Citing a disturbing spike in crimes against minors in the district, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) jointly submitted a memorandum to Madurai District Collector P. Akash here on Monday, demanding immediate measures to ensure the safety of women and girl children.The petitioners raised serious concerns highlighting that more than five sexual offences against minor girls had been reported across the district in the last 25 days alone. Among these incidents was the shocking gang rape of a minor girl in Tirumangalam, which had triggered a widespread outrage, they said.In their memorandum, they pointed out that the escalating number of sexual offences had created an atmosphere of fear, severely threatening women’s freedom and societal welfare in Madurai district.To combat this crisis, the district administration should immediately organise comprehensive awareness camps on child safety and prevention of sexual offences, they stressed.They also insisted that these camps should be conducted systematically across all schools, colleges, and rural pockets in the district.Subhashree, a law college student and an activist, criticised the “political apathy” regarding the safety of minors. “For nearly three weeks, we have been witnessing a continuous rise in sexual offences targeting girl children. The safety of minors must be guaranteed, and the Singappen Thittam must be fast-tracked and implemented without any further delay,” Ms. Subhashree said.She further urged the State government to treat the issue with the urgency it deserved rather than deflecting responsibility. “When such heinous crimes occur repeatedly, it is unacceptable to make political comparisons with previous regimes. It is deeply concerning that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has not taken any decisive action on this front yet. The government must step in immediately and enforce stringent punitive action against perpetrators of sexual offences,” she added. Published - June 08, 2026 08:27 pm IST