Police find unique way to save couples from divorce

The Social Service Branch of the Mumbai police has come up with a unique way to help warring couples, on the brink of separation, think of reconciling. The technique based on the analysis of post-separation experiences of couples.

The Social Service Branch of the Mumbai police has come up with a unique way to help warring couples, on the brink of separation, think of reconciling. The technique based on the analysis of post-separation experiences of couples.

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Deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Enforcement, BG Shekhar, who initiated the study to develop the technique, told HT that it was a compilation of the hardships that couples go through after divorce.

A team of seven officers from the department, including two women, interviewed more than 100 divorced couples. "Couples were asked to narrate the problems they faced after separation," Shekhar said.

Findings of the study show that children are worst-affected by the divorce. "Fight for custody results in prolonged battles. In most cases, the child develops psychological problems, and can even develop a violent tendency or take to crime," Shekhar said.

The divorce is often followed by protracted court battles for alimony, and is a huge financial burden for couples. The last finding was that most who re-married found that the second marriage was a compromise.

Shekhar claimed that when counselors at the SSB explained these problems to sparring couples, many were prompted to rethink their decision. "These examples exposed them to the trauma, which they had not thought of before," he added.