Hyderabad's Bharosa centre to get new child-friendly court in a month

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad’s ‘Bharosa’ centre will get a new child friendly court in a month. 
The special court would help in conducting a speedy trial in the cases registered under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) Act, opined the city police. With only 2.9 per cent conviction rate among the cases registered under POCSO Act, the city police requested the Hyderabad High Court to permit a designated court at the centre for the speedy disposal of the child sexual abuse cases. 

Since its inception, city’s police’ Bharosa centre received 270 cases of child sexual abuse, among which 9 victims were male. Apart from that 2,630 cases of various offenses related to women and children were also received by the support centre.Addressing media at her office on Tuesday, Additional Commissioner (Crimes & SIT) Swati Lakra said since May 2016, the centre received 270 cases among which nine cases were pertaining to the sexual abuse faced by male children.

“The actual figures of the incidents will be very high, but are not being reported,” said the additional commissioner. So far, five judgments have been given in those cases, of which three have been acquitted due to various reasons and two got convicted. “The centre now has two legal advisors to pursue the cases on a regular basis. The cases will be tried at the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court which is expected to come in a month,” said the officer. 

She said that the centre has helped in putting up 51 applications for the compensation of victims and have received first leg of compensation. In coordination with the other departments concerned, the centre would take up other cases to file applications for compensation, she added.