Rama Krishna Sangem
As the Supreme Court of India directs States and Union Territories to compulsorily appoint support persons for the victims of child sexual abuse as per the Guidelines prepared by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Spandana Cultural Organisation for Progressive Education (SCOPE) has appealed to the state government to implement the Guidelines immediately.
The NGO has been working in Sangareddy, Jangaon and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts for child protection and child rights as part of the ‘Access to Justice’ Programme which is one of the world’s largest legal intervention programmes led by more than 200 grassroots NGOs for child protection in more than 400 districts across the country.
Meanwhile, a Division Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh has directed all States and UTs to submit a compliance report in 4 weeks based on the NCPCR Guidelines regarding the appointment, qualification and duties of Support Persons in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) cases.
Child friendly guidelines needed
The petition, which was filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, had sought the implementation of child-friendly and child-protection Guidelines in the wake of the 2022 Lalitpur incident in Uttar Pradesh when a 13-year-old child was gang raped for over five months including by a police official when she approached the police station to file a complaint.
Applauding the Supreme Court order on ‘Support Persons’, Dr. Bandi Sayanna, President, SCOPE said, “This is a landmark order and will help the victims of child sexual abuse in many ways. While working on the ground, we are well aware of their struggles and tribulations during their legal journey.”
“As part of the ‘Access to Justice’ programme, we are seeking urgent implementation of Supreme Court’s order by our State Government to help make the lives of so many children and their families easier. We are supporting 37 in our district. The appointment of support persons will aid child victims to come out of trauma and face the perpetrators in the courts,” Dr. Bandi Sayanna, President, SCOPE further said.
The Apex Court has instructed State governments and Union Territories to implement the Model Guidelines which were proposed by the as formulated by NCPCR which establish a uniform standard of qualification, requiring individuals to hold a postgraduate degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, or Child Development. Alternatively, candidates with a graduate degree and a minimum of three years of experience in child education, development, or protection issues are also eligible.
