Seminar on POCSO victims calls for more fast-track courts

MP, 18 Feb 2025, Kolkata: The law must serve as both a shield and a sword, protecting the innocent while ensuring swift action against perpetrators, said Justice Soumen Sen of Calcutta High Court, who is also the chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Committee at the HC. 

Addressing a seminar focusing on legal safeguards and mental health impacts on child survivors in POCSO cases,an initiative of department of Psychiatric Social Work, Institute of Psychiatry-CoE, Kolkata, Justice Sen emphasised the urgent need for swift and effective implementation of the POCSO Act, ensuring justice for child victims of sexual abuse. 

He highlighted the importance of child-friendly legal mechanisms, fast-track courts and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to protect vulnerable children. 

Kavita Singh, Professor of Law & director of the Centre for Criminal Law, Criminology, and Victimology, WBNUJS, said: ““Laws alone cannot protect our children; it is our collective responsibility to implement them effectively. 

Every individual, from parents to educators to law enforcement, must ensure that no child suffers in silence. Justice must be swift, sensitive and survivor-centric.”
Samir Narayan Choudhury, founder secretary of Child in Need Institute, said: ““Protecting children is not just about laws — it is about ensuring a system that listens to them, supports them and prioritises their best interests. 

Our fight is not only against abuse but against the social realities that make children vulnerable. Prevention, awareness and care must go hand in hand.” 

Bula Bhadra, Professor Emeritus & director for Interdisciplinary Studies and Research, Sister Nivedita University, highlighted the increase in child sexual abuse cases, citing a 96 per cent rise in child rape cases from 2016 to 2022. 

She cited data from NCRB and said that each Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) clears only 28 cases per year instead of the targeted 165. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/seminar-on-pocso-victims-calls-for-more-fast-track-courts-599270