Centre announces scheme to support minor rape victims

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

The “Scheme for critical care and support for accessing justice to rape/gang-rape survivors and minor girls who get pregnant” was announced under the Nirbhaya fund.

Aims:

to provide integrated support and assistance to girl child victims under one roof;
to facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including access to education, police assistance, medical (also comprising maternity, neo-natal and infant care), psychological and mental counselling legal support,
insurance cover for the girl child victim and her new-born under one roof to enable access to justice and rehabilitation of such girl child victims.
providing shelter, food, daily needs, and safe transportation for attending court hearings and legal aid to the minor girls who have been abandoned by their families.

Assistance to POCSO victim:

If she doesn’t want to keep the child, she can give the child up for adoption.
Medical assistance can be provided as desired by the victim.
The person in charge of the Home shall provide a separate safe space for the girl child as her needs are different from other children residing in the Home.
Four thousand rupees monthly will be given to those victims who have been abandoned by their families.

Eligibility:

Any girl below the age of 18 years, who is a victim of Penetrative Sexual Assault.
Any girl who becomes pregnant due to such assault or rape is covered under the Scheme.
Such a girl child victim should be:
an orphan,
abandoned by the family, or
does not wish to live with the family.
It is not mandatory for the girl child victim to have a copy of the FIR for availing of the benefits under the scheme.

Nirbhaya Fund

The Government of India established the Nirbhaya Fund in response to the Nirbhaya Case in 2013.
It is aimed specifically at projects for improving women’s safety and security and is managed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).
The Empowered Committee (EC), which is composed of officials from several ministries and is chaired by the Secretary of the MWCD, recommends programmes/schemes for funding under Nirbhaya Fund.
Some of the major projects under the fund are Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF), One Stop Centers (OSCs), Universalization of Women Helpline (WHL), Mahila Police Volunteer (MPV), etc.
Since Nirbhaya Fund’s founding, the EC has approved programmes worth ~Rs. 9800 crores.