The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has found delays in disbursal of compensation to child survivors of sexual offences.
A report of the commission, which has been submitted to the government, on the compensation for child survivors in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, observed that child survivors after submitting applications for compensation had to approach the offices concerned repeatedly to get the relief.
A district-level committee should decide on those eligible for the compensation. Interventions should be made at the government level to find funds for paying the compensation, the commission recommended in its report, prepared after a State-level meeting of stakeholders at the end of last year.
The commission also found that the situation at present was such that the survivors got interim relief but did not get final relief. At times, even interim relief was not sanctioned. District and State-level monitoring committees should meet regularly to ensure the compensation was not delayed, the commission recommended.
The compensation for POCSO survivors should be provided by bringing it under a single scheme.
