INDIA: Only two convictions came out of 289 cases of child sexual abuse in past two years in Bengaluru

[5 January 2015] - Bengaluru saw a number of cases of child sexual abuse in 2014 and people were out on streets protesting against the rise in crime against children. Out of 289 cases registered under Protection of Children Against Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) in the last two years, there have been only eight trials and and just two convictions.

In July 2014, a three-year-old child was allegedly gangraped by two gym instructors in a school in East Bengaluru. In October, a kindergarten student was allegedly raped in a North Bengaluru school and in December, a three-year-old child was allegedly raped by a school assistant.

A resident said, "The government has to act. Police should give punishment. The lawmakers need to wake up from their sleep."

Despite public pressure for speedy action, trials for many of the rape cases are yet to start, and justice is far from being delivered.

The I-T city has registered a whopping 289 cases of sexual assault on children over the last two years which means nearly three cases every week. The police have managed to convict the accused in only two cases and the maximum punishment under the Pocso Act is just 3 years.

Hemant Nimbalkar, Joint Commissioner (Crime), said, "We have to see the reasons for the acquittal, whether technical grounds or whether witnesses did not co-operate with prosecution. All that has to be seen."

The law in fact states that POCSO cases should, ideally, be wrapped up in a year.

Child rights activist Dr Shaibya Saldanha said, "Judges and courts are highly overloaded. Ideally, they should have judges who are dedicated to children's cases and special training for POCSO and even other sections of the IPC."

Despite public pressure for speedy action, trials for many of the rape cases are yet to start, and justice is far from being delivered.

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