Spurt in incidents of sexual violence against minors: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday took suo-moto cognizance of the news reports regarding the sexual assault on a five-year-old girl inside her school in east Delhi's Shahdara district.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Harishankar said that there has been a spurt in the incidents of sexual assault against minors and issued notices to the Delhi government, police and the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) seeking a reply from them.

The bench asked them to file an affidavit before September 21.

The court decided to initiate proceedings on its own after also noting that Delhi government has ordered suspension of the medical officer for 'negligence' in treating the rape survivor.

"The reports raise issues of public interest," the bench said and stated that "there can be nothing more important than the information or report of such crime being brought to the immediate attention of the DSLSA, to enable it to take immediate steps for providing legal aid to the victim as well as compensation."

The bench said DSLSA interventions are "must" so far as the victims of sexual offence, both adults and children, are concerned.

This, while ensuring justice to the victim, will also ensure that the best assistance is available to the police for effectively investigating the crime as well as medical treatment and examination of the victims, it said.

"DSLSA shall also ensure that compensation in accordance with the Victim Compensation Scheme, 2015 is henceforth released to the victims at the earliest," it said, adding that it should also inform this court about the status of the release of compensation and legal to the victims.