Crimes against women: Chief Secretaries, DGPs favour lowering juvenile age, denial of bail

New Delhi: Stricter punishment for gangrape, denial of bail for crime against women and lowering juvenile age limit to 16 are among the key recommendations made by top bureaucrats and police brass to the government. The conference of Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police held in New Delhi on Friday has suggested increase in punishment for gang rape, setting up of Fast Track Courts, National data base for sexual offenders and amendments to CrPC, IPC and Juvenile Justice Act.

The conference also came out with the suggestions for gender sensitisation of police force, more recruitment of women in police, deployment of women police in every police station, single help line for women across the country, strengthening of forensic capabilities and community policing.

The top bureaucrats and police chief of all states have recommended that CrPC be amended to aim at speedy trials and when there is presumption of offence having been committed, discretion in grant of bail should be done away with. They suggested that punishment for gang rape should be higher and Section 509 of IPC needs to be amended, besides amendment to Juvenile Justice Act to lower the age to 16 years and grading based on the magnitude of offence is necessary.

The top bureaucrats and police chief of all states have recommended that CrPC be amended to aim at speedy trials.

Placement agencies need to be brought under law. The conference, convened by the Home Ministry in the wake of December 16 gang-rape of a girl in Delhi, recommended that fast track courts are necessary which should hold day to day hearing. It said the right of the victims should be defined and protected during the trial.

"Court procedure should prevent humiliation of the victim and character assassination must be stopped. There should be no adjournments once trial starts with day to day hearing. Rights of the victims should be defined. Judges and prosecutors should be women. Discretion in grant of bail for heinous offences should be removed. Prosecutor should be of the choice of the victim," the conference suggested.

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