Slow trial of cases under POCSO Act emboldens criminals: SCPCR chief
SHILLONG: The recent rape and murder of two minors – aged 3 and 11 years – in East Jaintia Hills by a serial offender Michael Dkhar has shocked each and everyone. Public anger against the heinous crime resulted in some unidentified persons torching the house of the accused.
In another case, a man allegedly raped his 10 year old stepdaughter at Mawkhanu under Rynjah police station in East Khasi Hills.
Further, an eight year old girl was raped in East Khasi Hills and was also threatened with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone.
These are just few of the scores of cases of rape and/ or murder against minors that have rocked the State in recent times. The public have cringed at the thought of it where a child is victimized and the fun and frolic of childhood is forcibly taken away from them.
The general perception that the Khasis and Jaintias are known to respect women and children has undergone a drastic change for the worse as all societal norms and ethics are undermined by criminals.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on the curse, Meena Kharkongor, Chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), expressed shock as to the sudden change in attitude in people that weighs more towards criminal activities where they have shown no mercy to an innocent child.
“Most children are too young to comprehend as to the situation they are being dragged into by these culprits. The disheartening part is the aftereffects of re-victimization of the victim after reaching adolescent when she actually starts to understand her problem,” Kharkongor said.
Informing that children in the age group of 3-14 years are subjected to such criminal acts, she stated that usually criminals are those known to the victims and might include the father, stepfather, uncle or cousins, etc.
“We are intensifying our awareness programmes as we are concerned about the rising trend, especially in the Khasi-Jaintia community. At the awareness programmes we stress more on the family values and community participation, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012,” she said.
“Police are also given training on how to handle children cases sensitively. On the part of the Commission, we monitor POCSO cases and seek quarterly reports from all the districts to check as to how the trials are proceeding,” she added.
Kharkongor, however, lamented the slow trial of these cases and has appealed to the authorities concerned to speed up the trial of cases. “Ultimately, the fate of these cases depends on the court. The delivery of speedy justice to these children will act as a deterrent to criminals looming large in every corner,” she observed.
Informing that most cases of rape of minors usually are from rural areas, and she observed that it is pertinent to note that reasons that trigger such criminal acts include alcoholism, drug addiction and misuse of the internet by checking porn sites which are readily available.
Speaking on the rise of drop-outs in the rural areas, she said, “Church and community participation is necessary and drop-outs should get rehabilitation. Family should inculcate good habits and find out if children are facing any problems and make an effort to curb anti-social behavior of the child.”
Expressing dismay over the dearth of trained counsellors in the State, she observed that placement of professional councilors is mandatory to handle children sensitively.
“It is high time we engage professional counsellors for children kept in observation homes. The government has to take this into consideration. The boys held up in the observation homes should change and set up a rehab package to enable them to come back into the society as changed human beings.”
She informed that traumatized children are counseled by the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and victim compensation is given to those who deserve.
Kharkongor stressed upon widespread awareness involving headmen and NGOs, even as she stated that it is a responsibility of the community to curb the menace of criminal activities.
As a message to young girls she said, “They should be alert, careful and speak out as help is always there. They should be able to judge what is happening around them.”