Headlines
Amendments in Juvenile Justice Act to remain
New Delhi, March 8
Despite objections from a
parliamentary committee, the government is going ahead with amendments
to the Juvenile Justice Act which will provide for 16-18 year olds,
involved in heinous crimes, to be tried as adults.
Clarifying the
government's stand, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi
on Sunday said that not all children aged 16-18 involved in criminal
activities would be tried as adults.
At an interaction with women
journalists, the minister explained that before a 16-18 year old is
tried as an adult for a heinous offence, the Juvenile Justice Board
which constitutes of lawyers, counsellors and psychologists, would
evaluate whether the crime was committed with a child-like frame of mind
or as an adult.
"Only after then, a decision would be taken as to whether he would be sent to a court or a children's home," she said.
A
parliamentary standing committed had recently flagged concerns on
provisions in the JJ Act which allowed for children between 16-18 years,
who were involved in heinous crime, to be tried as adults.
Maneka
Gandhi said that the bill has been again sent to various ministries for
approval and the government would try and pass it in the current
session of parliament.
On the issue of sex-related crimes against
women, she said that the Women and Child Development Ministry is
preparing a film on 'Good Touch and Bad Touch' to be shown in schools so
that girls can learn to identify the difference between the two.
The
minister said that the government is setting up one-stop crisis centres
for women in distress which will be connected by a universal women's
helpline.
"Thirty-six such crises centres will be set up, one in
each state, to begin with," she said, adding that she was also in favour
of 33 percent reservation for women in police to make the system
gender-sensitive.
The minister said that the money for the crisis centres would come from the Nirbhaya Fund.
Replying
to questions on the adoption process, she said that the laws need to be
simplified so that suitable families can be found for the babies.