Goa to have daily hearings in crimes against children

Crimes against children in Goa will soon be tried by a specially designated judge everyday, according to Goa State Commission Protection of Children's Rights (GSCPCR) chairperson Sameera Kazi.

Kazi said that although Goa had a special court, the Goa Children's Court which was established some years ago to try crimes against children, unavailability of a judge had resulted in a pendency of cases there.

"We were informed by the secretary, women and child development that a special judge would soon be appointed and sittings at the Goa Children's Court would be carried out everyday," Kazi said, emerging from a meeting called Thursday at the state secretariat, to discuss the monitoring of the protection of children against sexual offences (POCSO Act 2012) and the implementation of the integrated child protection policy (ICPS) in Goa.

"Despite the fact that only children related crimes are tried there, the numbers of cases pending at the court has reached 80," she further said.

A statement issued by the Goa government has expressed concern over the rise in the crimes against children.

"The POCSO ACT 2012 covers the most heinous aspect of child abuse-child sexual abuse in detail and Goa has seen a rise in this over the years despite it having the Goa Children Act 2003 already in force," the statement says.