Preparation of Children for Deposition in the Court in POCSO Cases: Insights from Children’s Perspectives

Abstract

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act (2012) is a progressive legislation enacted in accordance with the child protection policies of India, with a basic premise of gender neutrality and with due consideration to the aspects of child development in complex and difficult judiciary processes. Deposition of the child survivors is a critical part of the POCSO trial processes. It is of paramount importance to consider the developmental and mental health aspects of children and how that would influence their understanding of the judicial processes and mental health consequences during judicial proceedings. Despite the guidelines and support measures for child-friendly court procedures, the courtroom experience can be intimidating for children causing stress and in turn negative mental health impact, and preparation interventions are of immense help in this context. We present two case vignettes where court preparation interventions were used to help children to feel empowered and confident, and minimize the impact of re-traumatization experienced in recounting their abuse experiences and consequently, enabling children to provide accurate testimony in the court.