By Neelam Jena
In a landmark move aimed at bolstering child protection efforts in India, the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB) has launched the country’s first certificate course to train support persons for child victims of sexual abuse. This initiative comes in response to the 2023 Supreme Court directive that mandated the appointment of a support person for every child involved in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Support persons play a crucial but often overlooked role in the justice system. They are responsible for guiding and supporting children who are victims of sexual abuse through every step of the legal, medical, and emotional recovery process. Their presence helps ensure that children are not retraumatised during court proceedings and investigations, and that they receive care with dignity and compassion. However, despite the Supreme Court order, a shortage of trained and skilled support persons has emerged as a major challenge for state governments across India.
Recognising this urgent need, C-LAB—an institution dedicated to strengthening child safety systems through rule of law—has introduced a structured 10-week training program. The course includes a blend of online learning and classroom sessions, along with assignments and fieldwork. It aims to equip future support persons with essential knowledge and practical skills to handle the complexities of working with child victims and their families.
India has witnessed a dramatic 300% increase in POCSO cases between 2019 and 2022, underlining the growing vulnerability of children to sexual abuse. With over 2.39 lakh cases pending trial, there is a pressing need to provide trained professionals who can assist child survivors throughout the legal journey. The support person’s role extends beyond legal aid—they also provide emotional care, help navigate medical systems, and bridge communication between the child and the authorities.
Speaking during the inaugural lecture of the course, Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of “Just Rights for Children,” highlighted the emotional significance of the support person’s role. He noted that justice for a child does not lie in the verdict alone but in the dignity and compassion they receive throughout the process. “Support persons work behind the scenes, guiding and protecting children at their most vulnerable. Whether it is a courtroom, a police station, or a hospital—they are the shoulder the child and family can lean on during moments of crisis,” Ribhu said. He described C-LAB’s initiative not just as a training program, but as a systematic effort to transform how child victims experience the justice system.
Dr. Sangeeta Gaur, the course director, emphasised that despite the existence of stringent laws like POCSO, many children continue to suffer in silence or face delays in justice due to lack of guidance and support. “These children don’t just need legal representation—they need empathy, reassurance, and someone to tell them that their rights matter. A trained support person can ensure that their dignity is upheld and that justice is not just a process, but a healing journey,” she said.
The course is open to individuals already working with children in need of care, aspiring social workers, and those serving as support persons informally. Its core curriculum includes child rights and protection, basic legal procedures under POCSO, the responsibilities of support persons, strategies for emotional rehabilitation, and methods for victim compensation. A key component is also training in psychological first aid—enabling support persons to respond to trauma in a sensitive and constructive manner.
Importantly, the training also covers skills for communicating effectively with children, helping them recover from trauma, and integrating them back into mainstream society without stigma. Experts from fields such as law, mental health, and social work will guide participants throughout the program.
C-LAB is an initiative under the India Child Protection platform and has long worked to address crimes such as child trafficking, online sexual exploitation, and child marriage. With this certificate program, it aims to strengthen grassroots-level protection systems by developing a cadre of certified professionals who can be deployed across the country to support children in distress.
While the Supreme Court’s mandate was a significant step in acknowledging the emotional and psychological toll legal proceedings take on child victims, effective implementation hinges on trained human resources. This program attempts to fill that crucial gap and ensure that justice for children is delivered not just in words, but in action and care.
As child protection systems across India evolve, initiatives like this offer a timely and practical solution to one of the most critical needs in child justice—ensuring that no child walks the difficult path of recovery alone.