With members across party lines supporting a stricter law against child abuse, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the bill for amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment)Bill, 2019 provides for stringent punishment including life imprisonment forusing children for pornographic purposes.
The new law is expected to discourage the trend of childsexual abuse by acting as a deterrent due to the strong penal provisions in it.It intends to protect the interests of vulnerable children in times of distressand ensure their safety and dignity.
There has been a rise in crimes against children in thecountry in recent years. It is estimated that 1.6 lakh cases of child abuse arepending in 31 states and union territories (UTs).
As per official data, about 12,609 rape cases wereregistered under the POSCO this year.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment)Bill, 2019 was moved by Union Women and Child Development Minister SmritiIrani.
Participating in the discussion on the bill, all members ofthe Upper House supported the amendments with a few of them expressingreservations over the death penalty clause.
Congress leader Vivek Tankha said that it was good that thegovernment had brought the amendments but much more has to be done to ensurethat children are safe.
RJD member Manoj Jha expressed concern over the lowconviction rate and high pendency of cases.
Speaking on the bill, Samajwadi Party’s Jaya Bachchansupported it but said, “Only amendments won’t solve the problem. The mostimportant thing is time-bound investigation, prosecution and proportionatecompensation should be brought in the rules.”
While supporting stringent laws, TMC member of ParliamentDerek O’Brien shared his traumatic experience as a 13-year-old boy and urgedcelebrities, cricketers and people in public life to speak up about suchincidents.
“I would like and urge more people especially in publiclife, if you have been sexually abused or harassed as a child, please come upand speak about it,” the TMC legislator said.
Replying to the members on the bill, Minister Smriti Irani saidthe government was taking all steps to ensure that children and women are safein the country.She said that the government had sanctioned1,023 fast-track courts particularly for dispensing cases which are pendingunder POCSO and for women who have been raped.