CBI sets up a new unit to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation

An online child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention unit has been set up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday in the national capital. The new unit of the CBI will collect and disseminate information regarding publication and transmission of information relating to online child sexual abuse and exploitation. The CBI in an official statement said, "The rapid growth of the internet has created a new dimension, wherein sexual exploitation of children can multiply if remained unchecked."

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'Victims are mostly helpless innocent children'

The investigations of such offences will come under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),  Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Information Technology Act 2000. The territorial jurisdiction of the unit will be throughout India. The agency said that numerous references related to dissemination of child sexual abuse materials are received from national and international organisations. The CBI in the statement further stated, "The incidence of online child sexual abuse generally transcends international borders. Victims are mostly helpless innocent children."

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The Union government has proposed to set up fast-track special courts

The Union government has proposed to set up a total of 1,023 fast-track special courts for expeditious trial of over 1.66 lakh pending cases of crime against women and children across the country. Each of these special courts is expected to dispose of at least 165 such cases per year, said a proposal by the Department of Justice under Union Law Ministry. A total of 1,023 FTSCs will be set up, out of which 389 courts, as per a Supreme Court direction, will exclusively handle cases registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, it said. The remaining 634 FTSCs will deal with either rape cases or both rape and cases under the POCSO Act depending upon the pendency and requirement.

According to the Department's proposal note, a total of 1,66,882 cases of rape and those under POCSO Act are pending trial in various courts across the country. There are 389 districts in the country where the number of pending cases under the POCSO Act exceeds 100. Therefore, as per the apex court directives, each of such districts will have one exclusive POCSO court, which will try no other cases, the note said.

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(INPUTS FROM ANI)