A state level consultation of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) on Wednesday suggested the state government to form a ‘panel of support persons’ to provide emotional and psychological support to the child victims during the legal proceedings and further ensure their well-being and protection.
The suggestion was given to ensure compliance of the Supreme Court orders which was passed to formulate the Draft Model Guidelines with respect to Support Persons under section 39 of the POCSO Act.
The Supreme Court has also directed state governments and the government of the Union Territories to further frame rules for their state/UTs based on the draft Model Guidelines of section 39 POCSO Act, 2012.
In connection with the direction, a one-day state level consultation on model guidelines with respect to support persons under section 39 POCSO Act, 2012, was organised by National Commission for Protection on Child Rights and MCPCR at Manipur Press Club.
MCPCR chairperson Keisam Pradipkumar highlighted the SC’s direction, stating that Section 39 of the POCSO Act requires the state governments to prepare guidelines for use of NGOs, professional and experts or persons to be associated with the pre-trial and trial stage to assist the child in POCSO related cases.
“The people in the state are well aware of the POCSO Act. However, taking records of the victim by police is also mandatory,” he said. A support person should keep a real time tracking of the victim; he can also support police personnel in dealing the case, he added.
“We are living in a society which has lost everything. We should be physically, mentally, socially healthy but there is no spiritual health,” said director of Medical and Health Services O Sanahanbi Devi.
Crime against Women and Children, SP Ph Maheshwari Devi said that crimes against children are occurring not only in Manipur but everywhere, and the means to give punishment to a convict is crucial.
She said that the government has implemented the POCSO Act especially for children. There is a special juvenile police unit with a child welfare officer in every police station of Manipur, she mentioned.
She further said that crimes against children are high in Imphal West and mostly in less developed areas so far. As many as 23 cases have been registered under different sections of the POCSO Act in 2023, she said.
In the technical session, advocate and legal consultant MCPCR Thiyam Rajkishore spoke on the ‘Role of support person and legal representatives in dealing cases under section 39 of POCSO Act’. He talked about the IPC, CrPC section that relates with the POCSO Act for giving punishments.
Head of department of Psychiatry, RIMS Dr Senjam Gohendro spoke on psychological support to both child sexual assault victims and their parents. Deputy director of department of Health Salam Bitam spoke on role of medical professionals during medical examination of child sexual assault victim.
SP of Crime Against Women and Children Maheshwari Devi spoke on the role of police towards a victim and friendly investigation under POCSO Act, 2012. The consultation was attended by members of the Child Welfare Committee and volunteers of NGOs related to children’s welfare.
