Why compensation to victims of sexual assault not same, asks SC

TELLS CENTRE, LAWYER INDIRA JAISING, WHO ALSO FILED SUBMISSION IN CASE OF RAPE OF 10YROLD FROM CHANDIGARH, TO EVOLVE A COHESIVE SYSTEM

CHANDIGARH: Taking up a bunch of submissions, including the rape case of a 10-year-old who gave birth to a baby girl in Chandigarh last month, the Supreme Court has sought suggestions from the Centre and senior advocate Indira Jaising on how to evolve a cohesive system for compensation of sexual assault victims in the country.

The court has asked to file a reply by October 4. Jaising is amicus curiae in the case.

“How it appeared that there is no integrated system with regard to disbursal, management and payment of compensation for victims of sexual assault. Funds were being given to the states by the Centre but there was no payment to the victims,” the bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

The court said there was “no record of how many sexual assault victims had received compensation and to what extent and how much time it had taken and at what stage compensation is paid to the victims”.

The bench observed that this was a sorry state of affairs as the victims who had already suffered sexual assault had to face such apathy.

The court asked the member secretory of the National Association of Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to be present on the next date of hearing.

The bench also pointed out that it would “like to hear of steps to rehabilitate these victims or at least reduce or eliminate the trauma they have undergone”.

This came after Jaising made a submission in the SC relating to compensation of rape victims on September 22 seeking details of compensation and other measures taken by states under Section 357-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Crpc).

Jaising said due to non-uniformity in the schemes, there was a huge difference in the amount awarded to rape victims in different states.

The bench also ordered that the compensation for victims that Chandigarh SLSA was fell short of should be provided by the Centre within two weeks.