Workshop on juvenile justice, Pocso acts held

A poster to create awareness on ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012’ was released by Judge B Ganesh, who is also the member secretary for District Legal Services Authority as part of a workshop on Juvenile Justice Act 2000 and POCSO Act 2012, jointly organised by the District Child Protection Unit, Childline and Press Club at Patrika Bhavan here recently.

The poster comprises definitions of sexual assault, different sections, the punishment, details about different types of courts, ways of filing complaints and helpline number (1098) among other details.

Earlier, resource person PADI Director Renny D’Souza said the Supreme Court order that all persons below the age of 18 are considered as children and the POCSO Act 2012 have been a great help in punishing the culprits and protecting the children, in the case of sexual assaults on children.

Appealing media persons to take care while filing stories related to sexual assault on children, Renny explained the Supreme Court guidelines on covering stories on sexual abuse against children, laws related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and children’s right to protection.

Replying to a query during the discussion, CWC Chairperson Nikesh Shetty said that out of 46 couples who have applied for adoption of a child, only three couples have managed to adopt a child while 43 couples continue to wait in the district.

Regretting that no institution is coming forward to open an adoption centre, he said that the only adoption centre in Dakshina Kannada district is in Puttur (Ramakrishna Ashram) at present. Shetty said that the CWC members face problems quite often whenever they find an abandoned baby in Mangaluru, as the adoption centre is in Puttur and it is not very easy to reach Puttur quickly.

However, at the State-level, there is State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) and in the national-level there is Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), which monitor the adoption procedures and cases in the State-level and national-level respectively, he said.

To another query, Additional SP V Shanthkumar said if any person is found to have filed false case against any person under POCSO Act, case will be filed against complainant itself as per the new rule.

District Child Protection Unit Officer A Usman and Sr Dulcin Mathias too were present.