Rama Krishna Sangem
In the wake of the findings of a recent report by India Child Protection suggesting that Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) are the only way for rape and sexual abuse survivors to seek justice, Spandana Cultural Organisation for Progressive Education (SCOPE) has appealed to the state government to ensure that more FTSCs are established for the speedy delivery of justice.
The report, ‘Fast Tracking Justice: Role of Fast Track Special Courts in Reducing Case Backlogs’, highlights that while the disposal rate of rape and POCSO cases across all courts in the country was a mere 10% in 2022, FTSCs showed much higher efficiency at 83%, improving further to 94% in 2023. The report recommends setting up 1000 more FTSCs for clearing the backlog and notes that the unutilized amount in Nirbhaya Fund would be sufficient for the operation of these additional courts for the next two years.
The report warns that without these additional FTSCs, the country may never be able to clear its backlog of pending rape and POCSO cases. The report was launched at a three-day workshop in New Delhi recently.
Emphasizing the urgency of making FTSCs central to securing justice for victims, noted Child Rights activist and Child Marriage Free India founder Bhuwan Ribhu stated, “India is reaching the tipping point in addressing long-overdue justice in rape and child sexual abuse cases.
Now critical moment
This is the critical moment when we must invest in the safety and security of our women and children, ensuring their right to justice by clearing all pending cases within the next three years by creating 1,000 new FTSCs. It’s also the time to provide rehabilitation and compensation for victims and promote a legal deterrent in society by adopting time-bound policies for the disposal of cases and appeals across all courts, including the High Courts and the Supreme Court, and ensuring accountability throughout the justice delivery process.” Child Marriage Free India (CMFI) is a nationwide campaign comprising over 200 NGOs in 400+ districts against child marriage, and India Child Protection and Spandana Cultural Organisation for Progressive Education (SCOPE) are partners of the CMFI.
In addition to recommending that all earmarked FTSCs become functional, the report suggests establishing 1,000 more FTSCs to address the existing backlog of rape and POCSO cases in the country. It warns that, given the current disposal rate, the country would need to clear at least one rape or POCSO case every three minutes to eliminate the backlog by December 2023, assuming no new cases are added.
The report warns that India would need approximately three years to clear the existing backlog of 202,175 rape and POCSO cases in FTSCs if no new cases are added. It recommends immediately making all 1,023 FTSCs functional and setting up 1,000 more FTSCs nationwide.
