Provide Counselling For Child Victims Of Sexual Offences, Ensure Their Education : Supreme Court Directs States

The Supreme Court has observed that whenever a child is subjected to sexual assault, the State or the Legal Services Authorities should ensure that the child is provided with a facility of counselling by a trained child counsellor or child psychologist. Because, it will help the victim children to come out of the trauma, which will enable them to lead a better life in future.

The Court further stated that the State should ensure that the children who are the victims of the offence continue with their education.

"The social environment around the victim child may not always be conducive to the victim's rehabilitation. Only the monetary compensation is not enough. Only the payment of compensation will not amount to rehabilitation in a true sense."observed a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal.

"Perhaps the rehabilitation of the girl victims in life should be part of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign of the Central Government. As a welfare State, it will be the duty of the Government to do so. We are directing that the copies of this judgment should be sent to the Secretaries of the concerned departments of the State." the bench added.

The Court directed its Registry to forward a copy of this judgment to the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Central Government to enable the Government to take appropriate action in terms of the above observations.