Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in
http://www.frontline.in/social-issues/for-a-victimcentric-approach/article6500057.ece?css=print
recording her statement, conducting a test identification parade, and then summoning her to appear in court for
trial after a year or two. Very seldom were even copies of the FIR and medical reports given to the victim. She was
a mere witness in a trial to be conducted by the state against the accused persons. The success of a case was
measured only in terms of conviction rates.
There was also a total lack of coordination between the state agencies, that is, the police, public hospitals, public
prosecutors and officers of the Department of Women and Child Development involved in the investigation and in
providing support. Public prosecutors who represented the victims made moral judgments on the victims
character and thus failed to perform their duty with sincerity and commitment. They also lacked the skill and
competency to represent victims in complex cases.
It is argued that the Nirbhaya case brought about change. What happened after Nirbhaya?
Why should the reforms be known by the name given to the victim of a brutal gang rape? I call it the Delhi gang
rape case. Yes, change did come but not entirely because of this case. The Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences [POCSO] Act passed in November 2012 had broadened the definition of sexual crime beyond penovaginal penetration to include other types of penetration and also anal or oral sex, etc. But it went unnoticed. Only
after the media attention on the Delhi gang rape did the police start registering cases under this Act.
POCSO brought in many special procedures that are required for rape trials. For instance, recording the FIR or
the victims statement in her home or in a place of her choice by women officers in civilian clothes rather than in a
police station, sensitive examination of the child or provision of a translator if the child needs one, special childfriendly procedures to be followed during trial, etc., are some of the measures that were stipulated under this Act.
Initially the police used this Act only in a limited way to register cases of child pornography and continued to use
sections of the Indian Penal Code [IPC] for cases of rape. After the Delhi gang rape, based on the suggestions of
the Verma Committee, IPC provisions were reformed and the wider definition of sexual assault in the POCSO Act
was adopted. Unfortunately, the age of consent for girls was raised to 18 years from the earlier 16 years. In the
long run, this will prove to be detrimental as the provisions can be used against adolescent boys in cases of
consensual sex if parents disapprove of a girls choice of a sexual partner.
You have repeatedly pointed out that the treatment given to victims from higher income/high-profile
groups is very different from that given to those belonging to lower strata.
It works in two ways. When the accused is from the middle class and the victim from a lower class, the victim has
a tough time. When the victim is from a high-income group and the accused is from a low-income group, the
media take notice and the prosecution is under pressure.
Here the investigation is thorough. The accused most often has little legal recourse. I am not justifying the latters
crime but just stating that there is no uniformity in the manner in which legal provisions are applied in sexual
assault cases.
Take, for instance, the high-profile case known as the Spanish rape case, where evidence was recorded through
video conferencing. But this is never done when a poor vulnerable girl has to depose against great odds. I know
several cases where these frightened children are brought to court and are made to give evidence in the presence
of the accused. In one case, the child was cross-examined over three days. There are cases where victims have
fainted while giving evidence.
What would be a suitable investigation and trial process in a case of rape?
There has to be uniformity in the procedures adopted in the investigation and trial. Procedures such as recording a
victims statement in their homes, placing a screen to block the victim from the direct gaze of the abuser so that he
cannot intimidate her during cross-examination, ensuring that the medical examination is conducted with
sensitivity, etc., are simple measures that must be followed.
The guidelines by the Supreme Court in Sakshi versus Union of India as well as the procedures stipulated under
the POCSO Act, if strictly adhered to, will make the trial process less traumatic. Our courtrooms are daunting and
the trial is a frightening process. As part of our support work, we facilitate a court familiarisation visit to victims and
explain to them the procedure of a trial. We explain what the FIR contains and what they are expected to say in
court. We inform them that they have a right to ask for a break if they are tired, ask for water, or ask for the
question to be repeated if they have not understood the same. It is essential to empower them so that they are
able to depose confidently and do not get cowed down by defence lawyers.
Conviction rate is an issue in rape cases. What is your comment?
Conviction is the focus of a criminal trial. A high conviction rate is seen as a solution. Our position to support the
survivor is more crucial. If the investigation is thorough and the victim gets due support to depose with confidence,
conviction will automatically follow.
You have been concerned about the issue of sexual abuse getting split between child rights and womens
rights groups after the POCSO Act. Could you elaborate?
Earlier, in the 1980s and since the Mathura rape case, sexual abuse of both women and children was addressed
primarily as a concern of both womens rights and child rights and we were successful in bringing in reforms to
IPC sections in 1983 as part of a campaign for an anti-rape law. But while campaigning for POCSO, child rights
groups raised the issue of children separately. After the Delhi rape case, the reforms focussed on IPC sections of
rape which concern adult women. Though the definition of rape under IPC and POCSO are very similar, the
requirement of a special court for vulnerable witnesses is not getting addressed as a joint issue. Child rights
groups view victim-protection measures as an issue concerning only children, with the result that issues
concerning protection to adult victims of sexual crimes are neglected. We have to work together to achieve a
larger goal.
Could you tell us about the Maharashtra governments Manodhairya scheme for rape victims and other
plans that are in the pipeline?
Our organisation worked closely with the Department of Women and Child Development to draft a scheme for
financial support to rape victims and the Manodhairya Yojana was launched in October 2013. The scheme is
unique as it provides support to victims after an FIR is filed and the medical examination is completed. District
Criminal Injuries Boards comprising senior officials from all relevant government departments and representatives
of NGOs have been set up. The police station is mandated to send a copy of the FIR along with the medical report
to the District Women and Child Development officer who is the member secretary of the board. A meeting of the
board is then convened to sanction the funds. Depending on the gravity of the crime, compensation of Rs.2 lakh to
3 lakh is paid to victims of sexual assault and acid attacks.
The transformation in the victims who have received the sum is amazing. It boosts their confidence after the
trauma and the stigma from the sexual assault. We are still grappling with issues such as committee members
rejecting the application on grounds that the victim is not of good moral character or that she had consented to the
sexual act. These issues are being streamlined. If a child was sexually assaulted and there is an FIR and a
medical report to prove it, the claim cannot be rejected. This is a forward move by the State and should be
implemented in its true form.
Frontline