‘Child-protection laws in India require a comprehensive overhaul to remove loopholes and ambiguities if they are to be effective tools for safeguarding children against commercial sexual exploitation.’ This is the key recommendation of a new ECPAT report to be released on Monday 29 November at the Consultation on Legal Reform to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New Delhi, India.

Consultation on
‘Legal Reform to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in India’

Call for overhaul of child-protection laws in India

Child-protection laws in India require a comprehensive overhaul to remove loopholes and ambiguities if they are to be effective tools for safeguarding children against commercial sexual exploitation. This is the key recommendation of a new report to be released at the “Consultation on Legal Reform to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children” in New Delhi on Monday 29 November 2004.

The Report on Laws and Legal Procedures Concerning the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in India will be presented to a meeting of judges, government officials, lawyers, law enforcement personnel and children’s rights advocates.

The report and consultation stem from a joint initiative between children’s rights organisations ECPAT International and Plan International to investigate legal responses to the commercial sexual exploitation of children in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

The report notes a rise in reported cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children in India, including the prostitution of children, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. As well, new manifestations of these problems are emerging. Child sex tourism is increasing and spreading to new areas of the country, and the prostitution of children is now also occurring through so-called ‘friendship clubs’. The clubs involve people advertising for ‘friendships’ with the aim of finding a sexual partner. Police say the clubs involve prostitution, and that minors have been found on club premises during police raids.

A major obstacle to protecting children in India stems from piecemeal laws that police and law officers find difficult to implement because of inadequate or inconsistent procedures to support implementation, according to the report.

A key concern is that child victims of commercial sexual exploitation receive poor legal assistance, if any at all. No special provisions ensure they have access to their own legal counsel so that they are fully informed about legal proceedings and their rights, including their rights as witnesses.

The report recommends that India’s child protection laws be clarified so that violations are well defined and clear guidance is offered on procedures to implement the law. Police and legal officers would then be better able to enforce child-protection measures, including guaranteeing that children involved in legal proceedings benefit from formalized child-friendly legal procedures and receive legal assistance and appropriate social services.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave
New Delhi 110029.
Phone 11 26183978 / 9811729093
Email: icyo@...
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit,
non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of
mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary
agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth
welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs
in India. It's family consists of over 354 organizations spread in 122 districts
of 22 states from different corners of India.

 

Affiliation:  Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand.
Close working relation with Asian Forum of Parliamentarians (AFPPD),

Int. Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO), World Youth Foundation (WYF).