'Protocols to be set for examining sexually abused children'

The Delhi government today said a committee will be formed to suggest a set of protocols and procedures to be followed while examining children who have been victims of sexual harassment.
"We will form a committee to examine and suggest the protocol and procedure of examining the sexually harassed children, prevalent in different states. If need be, we will incorporate them in our procedure," Social Welfare, Women and Child state Development Minister, Kiran Walia said today.
She also expressed need for separate rooms in all hospitals to examine rape victims and sexually assaulted children and also to sensitise doctors, magistrates, police officers and counsellors to handle such cases.

"We should sensitise doctors, magistrates, police officers, counsellors in handling of the such cases. Also, a separate room with all equipment should be opened in all the hospitals in Delhi to examine and deal with the cases of the child sexual abuses," she said while inaugurating a training programme for doctors on how to deal with sexually abused children.
Walia stressed upon the need for providing advocates to extend help to public prosecutors while pleading the case of sexually abused child.
Doctors from about 22 government hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, L&JP Hospital, G.B. Pant Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Rao Tula Ram Hospital participated in the the programme and exchanged their views.

Walia said the Department of Women & Child Development has organised a number of training programmes and workshops to train such officers how to deal with the cases of sexually abused children.
She said a sensitisation programme for 189 SHOs in 10 batches was organised in February this year.
Walia said the Department has developed standard operating procedure for Child Welfare Committee for handling the cases of victims of sexual abuse, trafficking of the children for commercial sexual exploitation and general procedure to be adopted by them.