THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Juvenile justice seems to be the least priority of government-run children’s and observation homes. None of these welfare homes have provided the details of child-related cases pending in child welfare committees and juvenile justice boards in the state for the last three years. The centre had sought such details from the state early in the year. However, even after nearly a year, welfare homes have not shown the sensitivity to respond. Faced with an insistent centre, the Social Justice Department has once again sent missives to these welfare homes to furnish the information as early as possible.
It has been officially reported that for over five years the CWC and JJBs have not been able to dispose of nearly 1000 cases of children, those in need of care and protection and also those in conflict with law. The Juvenile Justice Act insists that a case should be settled in three months. In difficult cases, the Act has grudgingly allowed the Board two more months. But as it stands, there are innumerable cases in the state that had dragged on for five years and hundreds that have been languishing for more than two years.
“The Centre’s intervention is not going to improve things as none of these bodies have put in place even proper registration mechanism. Therefore, it is also not a surprise that these homes have not furnished a reply,” a top Social Justice official said. The delay in settling cases is attributed to the failure of district probation officers to file timely reports. The Board can take a decision on a case only on the basis of the report of the district probationary officer (DPO). “Considering the shortcomings of the system, these reports might take years to materialize, if at all they do,” the official said.
