Tamil Nadu establishes support system for children in abuse cases
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The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department in India established guidelines for selecting and training support persons to assist children and families involved in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases.
District Child Protection Units (DCPU) will now build a database of eligible support persons through annual public applications and interviews.
Candidates must be at least 25 years old and pass police verification, and selection committees will include officials from revenue, juvenile justice, police, and child protection services. These support persons will work for three years, handling a maximum of ten cases simultaneously. The DCPU will provide training and an honorarium of ₹10,000 per case, paid in four installments. Support persons must submit monthly reports to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and maintain weekly contact with the child and family.
The guidelines detail the support persons’ responsibilities, including coordinating interpreters and special educators, explaining legal procedures to children and families, ensuring access to medical care, and accompanying them to meetings with authorities. The Director of Children Welfare and Special Services will oversee implementation of these guidelines at the state level.
