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The Rajya Sabha passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill (POCSO Bill) which provides for death penalty on Wednesday.
The Bill proposes death penalty to the culprits in the cases of sexual assault and stringent punishments for other crimes against children.
Some members of the Opposition had demanded during the discussion that given the importance of the legislation, it should go to a Parliamentary panel. The Bill, however, was passed without many hurdles and will now go to the Lok Sabha before becoming an Act. Piloted by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, the Bill is aimed at checking the increasing cases of child sexual abuse. Many members who participated also raised concerns over the increasing rate of violence against women and children in recent years.
Initiating the debate, Congress MP Vivek K Tankha said the Bill focusses more on punishment than checking the crime. “I welcome the Bill. But the stringent provisions are not stopping such incidents,” he said. He further added that the rate of conviction in such cases is very poor and that out of lakhs of such offences, a trial was completed in about 10,000, followed by conviction in 30 per cent of the cases.
The Act also provides for fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography.
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