I saw a lot of victim assistance centres in Japan while I was studying victimology there. Victims of crime are a neglected lot in India.

In December 2000, together with one of my teachers and a research student, I started a similar centre in Chennai.

We wanted to assist victims of all crimes, but shifted our focus to battered women when we found that 99 per cent of victims were women and mostly subjected to violence within the family.

Most of those who come to us for help are from the upper and middle classes. We have found they are not empowered at all despite being educated. The situation can improve with knowledge and empowerment.

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We badly need a good law to tackle domestic violence. Unlike in India where social organisations are funded by private parties, in the developed countries, governments play a more active role and fund them.

Our ultimate goal is to start a 24-hour help centre for all women in distress.