Hundreds of child trafficking cases in India have stalled due to delays in hearing testimony from survivors, who often have to travel far from their villages to give evidence in city courts, prosecutors and campaigners said. About 2,260 cases of human trafficking were reported in India last year, according to government data. A 2020 petition before India's Supreme Court, which led to the video conferencing pilot, said the need for rescued child trafficking victims to travel long distances to give evidence hampered their rehabilitation and delayed court cases. Indian courts have been using virtual hearings during the coronavirus pandemic, and the petition called for video conferencing to become the norm in all child trafficking cases. "If the journey is more than 200 km (125 miles), the survivor should testify through video conferencing," the lawyer added, requesting anonymity because the case is ongoing.

Source: bd News24 February 08, 2021 12:22 UTC