In a bid to increase awareness regarding sexual abuse, the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Justice Gita Mittal has adopted a unique approach of creating a module on sexual violence for school students between the age group of 14 to 18 years.
The step assumes more significance in the light of various heinous incidents which have shaken the conscience of the country including the Kathua gangrape where a child as young as 8 years was brutally assaulted and murdered by sexual predators.
The objective of the module is to make the children aware of the forms of sexual violence, identification of the same and empowering them to take remedial action along with cautioning them about the consequences that they would face if they commit any such act.
As per the press release of the Delhi High Court, the said module included discourses on:
The first such sensitization program was held yesterday at Modern School Barakhamba Road. Justice Mittal was herself present during the entire program and explained to the students, the purpose of this entire activity.
After the program, the students were also were taken to the Barakhambha Police Station and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital to make them understand the procedures in detail. The students interacted with judges, doctors as well as with the police officials.
At the police station, the students were educated about the lodging of a complaint, setting the criminal justice system into motion and the role of the police in such cases.
During their visit to the hospital, the students were taken to ‘One Stop Centres’ which provide medical assistance and counseling to victims of sexual abuse. They were also taken to observe the functioning of the casualty ward and were explained medico-legal cases.
The Delhi High Court has been doing a stellar job under the leadership of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal in highlighting social issues and creating awareness regarding legal remedies available to the victims.
Seven training programs for doctors regarding the handling of sexual violence cases and eight training programs for sensitization of judges, police officers, legal aid lawyers and prosecutors at the Saket district courts, have been held so far.
The next sensitization programs are scheduled on April 26 at Bal Bharti Air Force School and on April 27 at Mothers’ International School. These programs will be followed by consecutive training programs in other public and government schools.