HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Saturday that abuse of children on social media must be dealt with strictly, and offenders should not be shown any leniency.
He stated that his government was prepared to take all necessary steps to ensure justice and compassion for children, not only in courts but also at police stations, child centres and at every stage of the process.
Addressing the inaugural session of the State-Level Stakeholders’ Consultation Meet – 2025 on Voice for the Voiceless: Rights and Protection of Children of Sexual Abuse, the chief minister said the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act were progressive legal instruments, but they present challenges.
“We must ensure procedures help child victims, not hurt them. We must also work to end child pornography and impose strict punishments,” the chief minister said.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant said the child protection framework in the country remains fragmented and inadequately equipped. He called for a shift in approach, one that treats the child not as a passive witness in a criminal trial but as a person in need of sustained and holistic care. “The work is far from complete until children experience meaningful restorative justice, where the systems meant to protect them do not retraumatise them,” he said.
Justice Surya Kant stressed that the system should prioritise the healing of children both within and outside the courtroom while ensuring accountability. He added that justice for a child begins not in the courtroom but the moment the child feels safe and secure in their environment. Reintegration, the judge said, should be the foundation of the response, not an afterthought.
SC judge: Forgetting the child in pursuit of the accused is failure
Revanth said that the focus should be on placing child survivors at the centre of both the legal and moral framework in addressing crimes against children. “We have to protect our children from sexual abuse at any cost and with all means,” he said.
The chief minister stressed that the state government gives priority to the protection of children and women.
“The Telangana Bharosa Project has 29 centres. It provides police support, legal aid, medical assistance and counselling in a child-friendly environment. Telangana pioneered Child-Friendly Courts run by the Hyderabad Bharosa Centre. The goal is not just faster case disposal but complete child protection and development,” he said, adding that justice was not only about securing convictions but also about ensuring restoration, dignity and helping children reclaim their childhood.
Citing an example, Justice Surya Kant said, “Consider the case of a 10-year-old child made to recount trauma repeatedly before a teacher, police officer, medical examiner, lawyer and judge. With each retelling, her voice grows fainter until it vanishes.” He observed that the distress of victims is often worsened by the legal process. “When the system forgets the child in its pursuit of the accused, it fails both,” he said, noting that the imbalance is structural.
The judge stated that a child’s healing is not just a legal requirement but a moral obligation and a constitutional commitment. Justice Surya Kant called for collective responsibility, saying the task of protecting and supporting child victims is not only for the judiciary, police or social workers but a national duty. “We must move towards a proactive, compassionate model, where rehabilitation forms the foundation of our response,” he said.