Concerns have been raised about a recent Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) and checklist issued in Tamil, for the handling of cases under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 which was circulated among All Women Police Station (AWPS) personnel last week.
Child rights activists say few sections of the circular need to have additional details, and corrections need to be made in referencing the updated POCSO Rules, as this may cause confusion among police personnel who will go on to use the SoP and checklist.
In its first section about filing complaints, the circular states that any person (including children) who had apprehensions of an offence likely to be committed or knows of such an offence that has been committed, should provide information to the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) or the local police. While the circular goes on to state that any person who does not report or record a case will be punished according to Section 21 of the act, it fails to mention that this does not apply to children.
