SHILLONG, FEB 8: The state Cabinet on Friday approved the amendment of the Meghalaya Victim Compensation Scheme, 2014 which seeks to also include male child victims of sexual abuse.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting held here, Home Minister James K Sangma said the Ministry of Women and Child Development has adviced the government to include the word male child victims of sexual abuse in the victim compensation scheme of the state.
He said the Ministry of Home Affairs has also adviced the state government to modify the scheme suitably in accordance with the central victim compensation scheme in order for victims to be eligible for financial support from the central fund.
“Accordingly the Meghalaya Victim Compensation Scheme has been…modified where definition of victim means a woman or girl child or male child who has suffered injury caused by the act due to sexual harassment,” Sangma said.
Asked, the home minister said a victim of sexual abuse can be a girl child but it cannot be ruled out a male child being sexually abuse there are instances which have taken place and because of that, the government feld that it should not exclude male child victims who earlier were completely out of the purview of the compensation scheme.
By Our Reporter
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