Derek O' Brien recalls personal trauma while speaking on POCSO Amendment Bill that was passed in Rajya Sabha

Trinamool Congress member Derek O' Brien on Wednesday recalled his childhood trauma of being "molested" in a bus in Kolkata while speaking on a bill which provides for death penalty for aggravated sexual assaults on children.

While "happily and strongly" supporting the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha, the former well known quizmaster also suggested more and more people in public life come out and speak about sexual abuses.

He said children should be encouraged to speak up and not hide incidents wherein they have been traumatised in this manner.

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"With a lot of pride and sadness and hurt but I think India needs to know because my family knows, that on a bus in Kolkata as a 13-year-old after doing tennis practice, wearing short pants and a T-shirt, I got on to a crowded bus and I don't know who it was, but with my short pants and T-shirt I was sexually molested," he said.

The senior Trinamool member recalled that he did not speak about the incident for several years, and brought it up with his parents much later in life.

Several other members too made case for creating awarness among children to report about "good touch and bad touch". 

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill entailing amendments to the POCSO Act by including the death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children, besides providing stringent punishments for other crimes against minors.

The bill would now be sent to the Lok Sabha for approval. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 also provides for fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography.

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While replying to the debate, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the government is setting up 1,023 fast track courts, which would specially deal withe POCSO related cases.

"Recognising that justice delayed is justice denied, the government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts, particularly to be made for dispensing cases which were pending under POCSO, she added.

The minister also spoke on the growing number of such cases and lauded the support from members cutting across party lines.

(With PTI inputs)