Child Violence Tribunal Disposes of 49 Cases in Nine Months, Death Sentences in Two

The trial process under the existing law has been sped up to suppress and prevent violence against children. To that end, Child Violence Suppression Tribunals have been formed across the country. In child violence cases, these tribunals are ordering fines alongside punishments.

Pankaj Peter Gomez, bench assistant of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal, told BSS that 49 cases were disposed of by the tribunal in the nine months from January to September this year. Accused persons were convicted in six of those cases.

Of the six conviction cases, death sentences were handed down in two cases and life imprisonment in four cases. At present, 1,921 cases are pending before this tribunal.

On June 7, the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter to death in the case filed over the brutal murder of child Ramisa Akter (8) in Pallabi. The verdict in this case was delivered in just five working days.

To prevent violence against women and children, the government enacted the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000. Under the law, there will be one tribunal in each district town to try offences, and the government may form more than one tribunal in a district if needed. Ensuring speedy trials is its main purpose.

In continuation of that, the government took the initiative to form separate tribunals for speedy trials of child rape cases. The aim is to finish trials within 180 days, protect victims and ensure strict punishment. The Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal is part of that special tribunal system, and the newly formed tribunal began formal trial work in June last year. It tries rape-and-murder cases under Section 9(1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor (PP) Omar Faruk Faruki told BSS the government is in a strict position on child violence cases, and that it formed the Child Violence Suppression Tribunal to ensure speedy trials. He said the tribunal is handing down not only imprisonment but also death sentences and large fines, and compensation money is being ordered to be paid to victims' families. The law provides the maximum punishment where rape followed by murder is proved, and the tribunal is applying that provision strictly.