India News | Delhi HC Directs Framing of SOP for Fast Disbursal of Compensation to Survivors of Sexual Violence

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has issued directions to set up a standard operating procedure to prevent delays in the grant of compensation to survivors of sexual offences.

It underlined a "disconnect" between the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act courts and the legal services authorities in the national capital.

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A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma also questioned the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) over the delay in the grant of compensation even in cases where the conviction had taken place three to four years ago.

While directing to hold a meeting of the stakeholders on the same issue, the court noted that the legal services authorities were not even aware of the convictions.

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When the DSLSA claimed that court orders were not communicated to it immediately, the high court directed the creation of a dedicated e-mail ID for each of the districts of the Delhi Legal Service Authorities.

"This court has noticed that in several cases, even the survivors with special abilities are not given the compensation and, in fact, the DLSA concerned is not even aware of the conviction(s), which takes place. There is clearly a disconnect between the POCSO courts and the Delhi State Legal Service Authorities concerned," the bench said.

The court further directed the DSLSA secretary to hold a meeting with all the district legal services authorities and the presiding judges of the POCSO courts in each district to set up a standard operating procedure to prevent the delay.

"Let a dedicated e-mail ID be created for each of the districts of Delhi Legal Service Authorities so that the POCSO courts can communicate the orders of conviction or grant interim and final compensation to the survivors within 24 hours after the order is pronounced," said the order dated October 4.

The court further sought a "flow chart" explaining how the communication from the POCSO courts to the DSLSAs concerned would take place and how the latter would later release the compensation and inform the trial courts concerned about the compliance.

The court was hearing a POCSO case wherein the survivor was yet to receive compensation. The legal services authority concerned was, therefore, directed to undertake the process of release of compensation.

In September 2024, the court sought a report from the DSLSA with regard to the status of payment of compensation to the survivor in terms of the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2018.

The report revealed that neither the order of the POCSO court -- dated March 6, 2024, and awarding compensation to the survivor -- was communicated to DSLSA, nor did she file any plea in this regard.

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