The well-lit congenial setting replete with soft balls, colourful stuffed toys and wall covered with chart papers may lead you to believe it is a creche or a playschool. But no, this is a playroom for victims inside state’s first child friendly court which will be inaugurated on Saturday.
Located on the fourth floor of Bichar Bhavan inside Bankshal Court, the child friendly court complies with all the guidelines laid down in the Act. This is where all the cases related to Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) will be heard. Justice MB Lokur of Supreme Court will inaugurate the court.
The child friendly court has a playroom for minors with video conferencing facility which will help judge interact with the victim without the physical presence of the accused which can be intimidating. The facility will also help the victim identify the accused without coming face to face. The 50-sq feet room playroom also has two air-conditioners, an attached washroom and comfortable seating which will help divert the attention of the victims from the proceedings taking place two chambers down the hall.
“The Pocso Act is designed to protect children against sexual and penetrative sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. It mandates guidelines to safeguard the interests of young victims at every stage of the judicial process by having child-friendly mechanisms for reporting, recording evidence, investigation and speedy trial of offences through special courts. The child friendly court will help provide an atmosphere of security to the victims,” said a senior lawyer at bankshal Court who takes up several Pocso cases.
The court has a separate entrance for the victim so that at no point of time the victim does not come in any contact with the
tormentor. There is a separate enclosure covered with glass for the accused so that the victim does not see the face.
Counsellors involved in several “This is to protect the child in all possible manners who is already very scared. Seeing the tormentor can bring back all the bad memories. This is why it is essential that the victim does not see the tormentor even inside the court,” said psychologist Sarbani Ray, who counsels several young victims of abuse.
Unlike other courts where the judge is seated on an elevated dais, the judges in Pocso courts will be seated on a slightly raised platform to make him more approachable. The cops inside the court will not be in their uniforms.
“The child friendly court creates a very congenial and secured atmosphere for the victims so that they can testify without any fear,” said Tarun Mukherjee, special public prosecutor at Bankshal Court.
Recently Justice Nadira Patherya, who heads the juvenile justice committee of
Calcutta High Court held a meeting with the district officials for setting up such child-friendly courts in the districts also and asked them to identify the requisite space for such courts.
Representative image
