| Special courts to try crimes against kids | |
| SUMIR KARMAKAR | |
Guwahati, Aug. 29: Assam
has become the second state in the country after Goa to notify setting
up of special courts to fast-track cases relating to child rights and
sexual offences.
Assam social welfare department deputy secretary Kavyashree Mahanta told The Telegraph
today that the state legal affairs department had already issued a
notification for setting up the special courts in all district and
sessions judge courts. “These courts will exclusively handle cases
relating to crimes agai-nst children, including sexual offences, in
accordance with provisions of the Protection of Children against Sexual
Offences Act, 2012,” she said.
The Centre had earlier asked all states to
set up special courts for dealing with cases relating to children but
only Goa has implemented the order so far. Sources said Dispur speeded
up the process for setting up the special courts after Assam topped the
charts in National Crime Records Bureau’s latest report, with 84.65 per
cent crime recorded against children. The Assam State Commission for
Protection of Children’s Rights also lobbied for setting up of the
special courts.
The state government has joined hands with
the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, here to work
out modalities on how these courts would function.
“These courts will provide a
child-friendly environment for trial of cases related to crime against
children. Such courts are very necessary in Assam in view of the
increasing cases of child trafficking, child labour, sexual abuse, child
marriage and other child rights violations. These courts will be
supervised by the high court. We are hoping that the special courts will
start functioning by the end of this year,” National Law University
associate professor Benerji Chakka, who is associated with project, said
today.
The university is working out guidelines
for training public prosecutors, police officials and others associated
with the trial process. “We have to train people on how to talk with the
child victims of crime or sexual abuse. A child victim is already
traumatised and, hence, should be handled very carefully,” Chakka said.
Many children from the Northeast,
including Assam, have been rescued from homes run in Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They were reportedly taken out of the region
with the promise of good education and care but were later found living
in inhuman conditions.
There were also reports of many minor
girls being sexually abused in Assam. According to a study conducted in
13 states in 2007 by Union ministry of women and children, Assam
reported 142 cases of sexual abuse of minors.
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