INDIA NEEDS TO DISPOSE OF AT LEAST 1 CASE EVERY 3 MINUTES TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG OF RAPE AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES IN A YEAR - NEW REPORT

In September, Just Rights for Children partner India Child Protection published a new report to support the partnership’s advocacy to clear the enormous backlog of sexual abuse cases awaiting trial in India.

‘Fast Tracking Justice: The Role of Fast-Track Special Courts in Reducing Case Backlogs’ identifies that at least one case every three minutes must be disposed of if the backlog is to be cleared in a year - an impossible feat within the current infrastructure.

Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSCs) were established to prevent a prolonged wait for justice for women and children subjected to rape and sexual abuse, and they have been a driving force behind speeding up the legal process. In 2023 alone, 81,471 new rape and POCSO cases were instituted, and a total of 76,319 cases were disposed by FTSCs - a disposal rate of 94%. However, the only way the FTSCs could dispose of the backlog would be if no new cases are instituted and, even then, at the current rate it would take three years. In practice, the backlog could continue indefinitely if no new FTSCs are introduced.

The report recommends that the already planned and budgeted expansion of FTSCs - from 755 to 1023 - happens as quickly as possible. In addition, it advocates for an additional 1000 FTSCs, which would enable both the eradication of the backlog and realize a disposal rate of 100%.

READ THE REPORT