Panic, trauma for child victims in Tamil Nadu courts

Though the cases pertaining to children are at present held at the Mahila Court, activists say the children often end up being traumatised. “Children tend to get jittery when they are told that they have to speak at the court. There have been so many cases of children fainting in courts. Hence, a non-official advisory committee should be formed, and we should rope in psychologists and activists to find out how to go about making the environment at the courts child-friendly,” said Dr P Manorama, former chairperson, Child Welfare Committee. 

While the deposition room is considered a great step forward, only 15 cases have been heard in the room since its launch early last year. “Such a room is available only on the Madras High Court campus. We must try to convince the district collectors to have such a facility, which will benefit the children,” said Sherin Bosko, activist and co-founder of Nakshatra, an organisation that works for child rape victims.

In a recent incident, a child who had to testify at a Mahila Court in Chengalpattu was traumatised as she waited in the veranda, sharing a bench with the accused for over six hours. “The mere sight of the accused itself tends to traumatise the child. How would the child then be expected to testify in the court,” she pointed out. Explaining the difference between a deposition room in the Mahila Court and an entire court with a child-friendly atmosphere, Andrew Sesuraj, a child rights’ activist said, “While the case may take place at the High Court campus, there are possibilities that the children will meet the accused. The very purpose of a child-friendly environment is to ensure that the child should not have any encounter with any accused. Therefore, there should be a separate court with a child friendly environment and a separate entry that is away from the main entrance. Besides a child-friendly deposition room, the corridor where the child waits should also be child-friendly.”