- Exclusive courts for clearing the pendency of cases booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in two years will start functioning in Kerala before March.
- As many as 28 such courts will be made operational across the State before the end of the fiscal. It is estimated that nearly 7,000 POCSO cases are pending.
- Thiruvananthapuram will have four courts, the maximum number among all districts. It has been decided to set up one court for every 165 pending cases. All courts will be headed by District and Sessions Judges. It is estimated that each court would require `75 lakh. While the Cenre will meet 60% of the expenses, the State will have to chip in 40%.
POCSO Act
- Child sexual abuse laws in India have been enacted as part of the child protectionpolicies of India. The Parliament of India passed the ‘Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Bill, 2011’ regarding child sexual abuse on 22 May 2012 into an Act. The rules formulated by the government in accordance with the law have also been notified on the November 2012 and the law has become ready for implementation. There have been many calls for more stringent laws.
