Criminals are taking advantage of the fact that children are unable to express and oppose physical and mental abuse, and this has had a negative impact on children for a long time.

At the same time, the risk of cyber-violence has risen, and while the government has plans to provide, financial assistance to children who have been sexually abused, social assistance is also needed for the child and child’s family, said experts at a daylong regional consultative meeting held on Wednesday at the KIIT deemed to be university.

The workshop was organised by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, New Delhi and the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and was attended by representatives of Child Protection Services, Police, Crime Branch, Law, Child Welfare Officers and Working Volunteers from Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar.

Inaugurating the workshop, Tukuni Sahu, Minister for Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, briefed the participants on the steps taken by the State government to protect children from sexual violence and called for greater vigilance.

The inaugural meeting, chaired by Sandhyabati Pradhan, chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights was attended by Shri Bhaskarjyoti Sharma, Commisioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, Sulta Deo, Adviser to the Department, Additional Director General of Police, Rekha Lohani, Ananya Chakraborty, Chairperson of the West Bengal State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, Pramila Kumari, Chairperson, Bihar State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

Later, in the first technical session, Beulah Shekhar of the National University of Forensic Sciences discussed the “Forensic inputs in investigation of sexual offences” and answered the questions of the participants in the open house.

The topic of the second session was “Legal process and victim compensation/ rehabilitation plan under POCSO Act: challenges, solutions and role of stakeholders”.

Narayan S. Barua, Member Secretary, Assam State Legal Services Authority spoke on the subject and replied to the participant’s queries.

Bhavani Prasad Panda, Director, KIIT Law School, Chairpersons of Child Rights Protection Commission, Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal and were the guests of the valedictory function in the afternoon.

Dushyant Meher, Representative of NCPCR gave vote of thanks and Dibya Saswati, Member of OSCPCR was present.

In the evening, the children of KISS and Adruta Children’s Home performed an interesting cultural program.

Officials from the Commission, Odisha State Child Protection Society, UNICEF, Action-Aid, World Vision India, Plan India and Save the Children joined hands to make the programme successful.