In the United States the child sex trafficking victims will no longer be made to testify in the court, after New York became the final state to forego the practice by adopting a new law.
The law was signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, removing the legal requirement in sex trafficking cases to prove a child victim was forced or coerced into sex.
Under a United Nations measure known as the Palermo Protocol, children do not have to prove they were trafficked, said Romina Canessa, a trafficking expert at the rights group ‘Equality Now’.
In India, the practice is entirely different. As per Section 48 of The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, the victim is required to appear before the court but the court may record the statement of the victim through video conferencing in case the victim is unable to appear before the court due to safety or confidentiality reasons.
Moreover, in cases of trans-border and inter-state crimes where the victim has been repatriated to any other state or country is unable to attend the court proceedings, the court may order video conferencing to record his/her statement.
