Kerala High Court directs State to ensure adequate facilities at POCSO courts

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Finding that most of the special courts established under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), lacked adequate facilities, the Kerala High Court has directed the State to ensure that the courts comply with the guidelines under the Act.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice K.V. Jayakumar also directed the State to disclose the number of additional courts required for POCSO cases, in light of the Supreme Court’s directives.

The Supreme Court had directed each district in the country with more than 100 cases registered under the Act to set up special courts. The Union government was directed to fund the courts to support the appointment of the presiding officer, special public prosecutors and court staff.

If adequate space was not available, the State should provide suitable rooms with adequate infrastructure for the POCSO courts to function according to the guidelines, said the court.

The petitioner informed the court that the State had failed to fulfil its obligation to appoint the required number of exclusive public prosecutors for the courts. Under the Supreme Court’s directives, the Chief Justices of all High Courts were asked to ensure that special programmes are developed in the Judicial Academy so that Special Public Prosecutors attached to POCSO courts are provided training not only in law but also in other areas, including child psychology, child behaviour and paediatric health.

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