The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the State government to consider framing and formulating a coordinated State-wide sensitisation programme titled ‘Singappen Sensitisation Workshop’ with focus on trauma-sensitive implementation of the POCSO Act.Justice L. Victoria Gowri said apart from this, the workshop should focus on child psychology and emotional wellbeing; responsible handling of child victims; prevention of misuse of POCSO provisions; sensitivity during recording of statements; ethical child interviewing techniques; and awareness regarding Section 22 of the POCSO Act which deals with punishment for filing false complaints or providing false information.The court said the workshops should be conducted in a phased manner for female police officers in the State from the cadre of Superintendent of Police and below; Regional Psychologists attached to the Department of Child Welfare and Special Services; all District Social Welfare Officers; Protection Officers appointed under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act; and all District-level Chairpersons and Members of Child Welfare Committees.Inspector General of Police, Singappen Special Striking Force, and the Secretary of Directorate of Social Welfare should jointly coordinate implementation of the training programme throughout the State. The law must move beyond procedural compliance and evolve into a child-sensitive justice system rooted in compassion, the court said.The court emphasised that the implementation of the POCSO Act requires collective constitutional participation from every stakeholder: police officers must investigate with caution and sensitivity; prosecutors must proceed with responsibility and fairness; counsellors and psychologists must be integrated meaningfully rather than symbolically; welfare authorities must actively monitor rehabilitation; educational institutions must support emotional continuity; policy makers must address legislative and structural gaps; academicians must engage in empirical and interdisciplinary research; and courts themselves must adopt welfare-centric adjudicatory approaches rooted in constitutional compassion.The court passed the direction while dealing with a batch of POCSO Act cases. The court said the POCSO Act is one of the most progressive and transformative child-protection legislations enacted by Parliament. It represents a solemn constitutional promise made by the Republic to every child that the legal system shall protect them from sexual exploitation, emotional abuse, intimidation, and institutional neglect. The statute is fundamentally child-centric in philosophy, trauma-sensitive in design, and rehabilitative in spirit. However, the cases collectively reveal that enactment of a welfare legislation alone cannot achieve its constitutional objectives unless the surrounding implementation ecosystem evolves with equal sensitivity, expertise, coordination, and sincerity, the court said. Published - June 03, 2026 08:45 pm IST