Access to Justice for Every Child – An initiative under the Just Rights for Children Alliance
The “Access to Justice for Every Child” initiative is aimed at preventing and eliminating child trafficking, child sexual abuse, child marriage, and ensuring justice and rehabilitation to every victim. From May 2023-March 2024, the programme was implemented by ACRD across 450 villages in three districts of Assam - Baksa, Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan.
ACRD was selected among the top 50 best performing NGOs among 161 partner NGOs during the Phase 2 of the Access to Justice programme.
From June 2024 onwards, the A2J programme entered phase 3, and ACRD is implementing the programme in two more districts- Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur.
The Access to Justice team works closely with the police, government line departments, District Legal Services Authority, Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit, Lawyers, Schools, Gram Panchayat/VCDC, students’ groups, leaders, government health workers, and rural community etc, to identify, rescue and rehabilitate children who have been victims of abuse, violence, exploitation or have been trafficked or married before attaining their legal age.
Achievements (May 2023 – March 2024)
- Children Rescued from Labour and Trafficking- 148
- FIRs/GD entries- 56
- Child Sexual Abuse cases intervened by ACRD’s Support Persons- 200
- Child Marriages stopped - 241
- Pledges taken to stop child marriage -4,47, 382
Specialised Adoption Agency
Boko CHILDLINE Team Rescues Minor Elopement Victim, Facilitates Navajeevan Rehabilitation
On January 4, 2023, the Boko CHILDLINE team received information at CCC (1098), conveyed by a concerned individual. The report indicated that on December 23, 2022, a 17-year-old minor girl named Priya Bora (name changed), daughter of Anjan Bora (name changed) from Village No. 2, Jambari, under Boko Police Station in Kamrup District, had eloped with a 24-year-old young man, Amanul Hoque, son of Azmal Hoque from Village No. 1, Jambari, also under the jurisdiction of Boko Police Station. The parents of the girl had filed an FIR against Amanul Hoque, and the case was registered under Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code on January 2, 2023.
Following the report, the Boko Police Station took action, and on January 30, 2023, they successfully rescued the victim. Despite being taken to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a medical checkup, the girl declined the examination. Subsequently, Boko Police Station arranged shelter for her at the Sakhi One-Stop Center in Amingaon.
On February 1, 2023, the girl was presented before the Magistrate JMFC (Judicial Magistrate First Class) in Boko by the Boko Police Station. The Magistrate, after due consideration, ordered that the girl be placed in shelter at the Jalukbari shelter home. On February 4, 2023, the Boko CHILDLINE team visited the Jalukbari shelter home to meet the minor girl, took her statement, and provided her with Emotional Support and Guidance (ESG) counseling.
Further proceedings occurred on February 6, 2023, when the Boko CHILDLINE team, along with the victim's parents, presented the girl before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Following the evaluation, the CWC directed that the girl be placed in the Navajeevan Rehabilitation Centre in Sikarhati. Currently, the victim girl is residing at the Navajeevan Rehabilitation Centre, Sikarhati, as per the CWC's order.
Total cases
Cases rescued by CHILDLINE Rani- 698
Cases rescued by CHILDLINE Boko - 846
