Law coming to check child abuse

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 14. The Union Law Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley, today indicated that the Centre would bring new legislation to prevent child rape and sexual abuse.

Inaugurating a two-day workshop, organised by the National Human Rights Commission and the Angaja Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Mr. Jaitley pointed out that child rape accounted for 27 per cent of the total cases of rape reported in the country. He, however, lamented that there was no real law to deal with this offence.

It could be categorised under either ``unnatural offences'' or ``physical assault'', punishments for which were not harsh. These were also easily bailable offences.

The existing law made no distinction between the rape of a minor and an adult.

Mr. Jaitley highlighted a case in which even the Supreme Court had declined to believe that a child could be sexually abused by her father. Unfortunately, this presumption by society had been proved wrong. This offence was still the most under reported because of social conservatism, social unacceptability and the tendency of elders to hide it to preserve the family image.

The NHRC chairperson, Mr. Justice J.S. Verma, said lack of legislation was a major hurdle to dealing with these cases. The definition of child abuse should be very clear and punishment strict.

Ms. Raka Sinha Bal, general secretary, Angaja Foundation, said Madhya Pradesh topped the list of reported cases of child rape with 806 in 1998 and Delhi figured in the fifth place with 239 cases.

The workshop was organised to sensitise judges, lawyers and the police to the issue of child rape and sexual abuse.

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