Minors cannot be identified even after death

NEW DELHI: The government has said identities of children who are victims of sexual offences, or are accused/ convicted in criminal cases, cannot be revealed even after they are dead.The development comes after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights wrote to the Ministry of Women and Child Development in the wake of complaints that the police and the media do not protect the identity of minors in many cases.

The government has now made it clear that the provision of Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which prohibits disclosure of identify of children, is also applicable in case of a deceased minor.“This is an important clarification as we have seen in many cases that glaring mistakes are made by the police and the media houses in many cases when it comes to children involved in sensitive cases,” said G Mohanty, media advisor to the NCPCR.The Act also stipulates that the violation of the provision can lead to imprisonment of up to six months or fine which may of up to `2 lakh or both.