Thiruvananthapuram : In the wake of four acquittals in Palakkad's Walayar case, the govt has decided to appoint a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, to oversee competent handling of POCSO cases - in terms of police, witness and prosecution.
The decision came about at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the capital, Tuesday.
All schools should have counseling facilities and children should be encouraged to report such incidents to the family, the minister said.
Counselors shall be provided specific training in this regard, he added.
It was recommended that sex education should be part of the curriculum.
Police will be directed to keep a strict watch for drug peddlers in school zones, the minister said.
The meeting also decided to make cyber forensic laboratories more robust. to prevent cyber crime attempts against children.
More Protection of Children from Sexual Offences(POCSO) courts will be set up in the state for which, necessary funds shall be made available, the minister said.
Those who attended the meeting included Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Health Minister KK Shylaja, Education Minister C Ravaeendranath and chief secretary Tom Jose.
All four accused in the suicides of two Palakkad sisters aged 13 and 9, in a gap of two months last year, were acquitted by a court recently. Postmortem revealed how both girls were subject to rapes.
Govt expressed grave concern following the acquittals, after prosecution failed to establish guilt of the accused persons.
