Ensure police are sensitive towards child rape survivors, HC tells Maharashtra government

A bench directed the state to ensure that police personnel dealing with survivors of sexual assault, and other crimes under the act, are “sensitive,” and receptive to the survivors

The Bombay high court directed the state government to sensitise its police officers on the effective implementation on the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by an activist from Pune, seeking the court’s intervention in a case where the Pune police had flouted norms of POCSO and let off an accused person, who had been charged of having raped three minor specially-abled girls, on bail. (HT)

A bench of justices RM Savant and Sadhana Jadhav directed the state to ensure that police personnel dealing with survivors of sexual assault, and other crimes under the act, are “sensitive,” and receptive to the survivors, and to ensure there are “adequate number of policewomen to record the survivors’ statements”.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by an activist from Pune, seeking the court’s intervention in a case where the Pune police had flouted norms of POCSO and let off an accused person, who had been charged of having raped three minor specially-abled girls, on bail.

On the previous hearing, the bench had directed the state government to inform the court of the safeguards of the POCSO Act implemented while probing cases of child abuse. It had also directed the state to enlist the steps that it takes to protect children residing in government as well as private shelter homes from all forms forms of abuse.

On the last hearing earlier this week, the state told the court that it ensured that the statement of the survivors were recorded only by policewomen or any other special woman officer.

The bench directed the state to file a detailed reply by August 24, the next date of hearing.