Child abuse cases: Govt lays down guidelines

With more cases of sexual assault on minors being reported, the Delhi government has issued a fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed by the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), reports Faizan Haider.

With more cases of sexual assault on minors being reported, the Delhi government has issued a fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed by the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs).

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The government has asked the CWCs to shift the victim out of his/her house within three days in case the accused is a family member. The order also makes it mandatory for the CWC to facilitate the rehabilitation of the victim.

“Newly-implemented Protection of Children from sexual offences (POCSO) Act clearly states that the CWC must take care of every requirement of children. Some members were not aware of it and thus we have issued new guidelines,” a senior Delhi government official said.

“It is also mandatory for the CWC to provide a support person/ counsellor to the child to assist the child during investigation and trial. Also, the CWC must take opinion of the child and his/her parents to know whether they are comfortable with the support person,” the official added.

The new guideline also empowers the CWC to suo-motu cognizance from media reports of any sexual abuse case and is authorised to seek a report from the local police.