‘Proper investigation, prosecution must to check abuse’
LUCKNOW:
There is no dearth of laws for checking sexual abuse of children. All we need is proper investigation of crime and proper prosecution to bring to justice child abusers, feels IB Singh, lawyer of Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.
Has POCSO been able to check crime against children?
To some extent, POCSO has been able to check crime against children. But this law alone is not enough to check child sexual abuse.
Do we need more laws to check crime against children?
No. We already have enough laws to check crime against children. But this is not enough to end this menace. In order to ensure speedy justice for victims of sexual abuse, we need speedy, proper investigation and proper prosecution to ensure justice. Without these measures, any law, no matter how stringent it is, will fail in its objective.
against children?
When the culprit will know that he will be caught and brought to justice within no time, only then crime against children will come down. Unless we instill fear of law among criminals, crime against children will not come down. And this can only be ensured through speedy investigation and proper prosecution.
In most cases, child abusers are known to the victims. What should parents do to keep a watch on such offenders?
This is a harsh reality. To prevent such a situation, schools must educate children about various forms of sexual exploitation. In some cases, even stroking a child’s hair is sexual abuse if done with a bad intention. So, a child needs to be made aware of a bad touch and an affectionate touch. For parents also, it is necessary to constantly interact with children and educate them about such things. It is also necessary for parents to look out for child abusers within the family. If a child complains against indecent behaviour of a family member, then parents must not take it lightly or turn down the child’s complaint.
UNLESS WE INSTILL FEAR OF LAW AMONG CRIMINALS, CRIME AGAINST KIDS WILL NOT COME DOWN