Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy said sexual offences against children through social media will be dealt with no mercy against the perpetrators of such crimes.
He was addressing the inaugural day’s sessions of the two-day ‘State Level Stakeholders Consultation Meet- 2025’ on ‘Voice or the Voiceless: Rights and Protection of Children of Sexual Abuse’ being held at Dr Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute of Telangana in Jubilee Hills on Saturday, July 5.
Revanth Reddy felt that justice delivered through the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act should not stop at the courts with conviction. “Justice is served only if confidence is instilled in the victims by protecting their interests, respect, and letting them reclaim their childhood,” he said.
He called upon the judges, police officers, child protection committees, and other stakeholders to work collectively to ensure justice for the victims at every stage.
He felt that although the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice Act were progressive laws, it’s implementation was limited.
Noting that the state government has established 29 Bharosa centres across the state for protecting the girl children, he pointed out that Telangana was the first to start child-friendly courts through the Bharosa centre in Hyderabad.
These centres provide victims not only with police support but also medical assistance and counselling services.
Women and child welfare minister D Anasuya Seethakka expressed concerns over the way drugs have penetrated even the villages and schools across the state. She observed that in most of the sexual offences against children and even elderly women, it was found that the perpetrators had acted under the influence of drugs.
She felt that while the perpetrators were freely roaming outside, the society expecting the girls/women to cover themselves while going out, was unacceptable.
