Amendments in Juvenile Justice Act to remain

Despite objections from a parliamentary committee, the government is going ahead with amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act which will provide for 16-18 year olds, involved in heinous crimes, to be tried as adults.

Clarifying the government's stand, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Sunday said that not all children aged 16-18 involved in criminal activities would be tried as adults.

At an interaction with women journalists, the minister explained that before a 16-18 year old is tried as an adult for a heinous offence, the Juvenile Justice Board which constitutes of lawyers, counsellors and psychologists, would evaluate whether the crime was committed with a child-like frame of mind or as an adult.

"Only after then, a decision would be taken as to whether he would be sent to a court or a children's home," she said.

A parliamentary standing committed had recently flagged concerns on provisions in the JJ Act which allowed for children between 16-18 years, who were involved in heinous crime, to be tried as adults.

Maneka Gandhi said that the bill has been again sent to various ministries for approval and the government would try and pass it in the current session of parliament.

On the issue of sex-related crimes against women, she said that the Women and Child Development Ministry is preparing a film on 'Good Touch and Bad Touch' to be shown in schools so that girls can learn to identify the difference between the two.

The minister said that the government is setting up one-stop crisis centres for women in distress which will be connected by a universal women's helpline.

"Thirty-six such crises centres will be set up, one in each state, to begin with," she said, adding that she was also in favour of 33 percent reservation for women in police to make the system gender-sensitive.

The minister said that the money for the crisis centres would come from the Nirbhaya Fund.

Replying to questions on the adoption process, she said that the laws need to be simplified so that suitable families can be found for the babies.