The manual does not have detailed instructions on how to deal with transgender children, pregnant children, and those who are disabled
A manual, released recently by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, governing the living conditions of children in conflict with law, lodged with juvenile facilities across the country, may have missed some of the key points it was directed to address, say child rights experts.
The manual, titled 'Living conditions in Institutions for Children in conflict with Law' was released on Friday. It was drawn up as per a directive of the Supreme Court on February 2, 2016, issued during the proceedings of a 2013 case of Re-Inhuman Conditions in 1,382 prisons. The apex court, while looking at the conditions of adults prisons, wanted the WCD ministry to draw up a prison manual for juvenile facilities, and gave it a time-frame of over three months to complete it.
However, after a few missed deadlines, the ministry finally submitted the draft to the apex court on May 2. The SC then asked the ministry to send it to states and incorporate state-specific changes. It is not clear whether the ministry has incorporated changes from all the states yet.
The manual does not have detailed instructions on how to deal with transgender children, pregnant children, and those who are disabled. While there is no mention of any separate facility for transgenders, there is also nothing about how to deal with pregnant juveniles. It mandates that a pregnancy test be carried out or for any diseases for victims of sexual offences only in the case of an order by the juvenile justice board or a juvenile court.
Experts Speak
- "There seems to be no guidelines on how to deal with a pregnant child, or with a transgender child."
- "This can lead to a lot of mental trauma for the child."
- "These kids are already under pressure for being juveniles."
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