Kerala gets its first child-friendly POCSO Court in Kochi

The first child-friendly Special Court for trying cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) in Kerala was inaugurated on Friday in the Ernakulam District Court complex..The newly refurbished POCSO court has many features, such as play areas and, separate toilets and dining facilities to provide a more informal setting for child survivors to comfortably and safely give evidence. .Justice K Vinod Chandran of the Kerala High Court inaugurated the court on Friday morning at an event presided over by the Principle District & Sessions Judge, Ernakulam, Honey Varghese.The Minister for Health and Women & Child Development, Kerala, Veena George delivered the key note address as the Chief Guest. .K Soman, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ernakulam, G Priyanka, Director, Women and Child Development department, Government Pleader Manoj Krishnan, and advocate Anil S Raj, President of the Ernakulam Bar Association also spoke at the event. .Similar measures have already been implemented in Goa, Delhi, Telengana, and Karnataka.The POCSO Act recommends that Special Courts be established in every district in a state to handle offenses coming within the purview of the Act. Such courts are expected to be equipped with video conferencing facilities and one-way mirrors to protect the identity of the children.The Act also recommends allowing the presence of a parent or a person held in trust or confidence by the children and providing for translators, interpreters, special educators, NGOs etc. as required. Special Prosecutors with minimum seven years of experience are required to be appointed to handle such cases.Further, the Act lays down provisions to preserve the dignity of the child. The child is not to be subjected to aggressive examination or character assassination. The court may allow frequent breaks during trial if necessary. Moreover, the child should not be called on repeatedly to testify in the court.The ultimate aim is to create a non-threatening environment conducive to enabling children to testify freely and under minimal pressure..To this end, the existing child-friendly courtroom facilities have adopted several creative measures. The Goa facility features welcoming rooms without witness boxes. Child witnesses are engaged in activities such as colouring to encourage testimony.The Hyderabad facility allows the child to have direct interaction with the judge in an area separate from the accused. The accused is allowed to view and hear proceedings through a two-way video conferencing system. This also allows the child to identify the accused without physical interface. The judge and other personnel are required to be in plain clothes. The court also features a waiting area that is child-friendly, complete with toys and colourful furniture.Kerala took its first step towards more child friendly court environments in April 2018 by opening a child-friendly witness room at the POCSO court in Ernakulam district.There are currently 28 fast-track POCSO courts in Kerala but the government has approved the setting up of 28 more such courts which were proposed in its 2022-23 budget. In his budget speech, Finance Minister KN Balagopal said that ₹8.5 crore has been provided for the purpose..Child-Friendly Courtroom to be inaugurated at Madras High Court