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Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Derek O' Brien on Wednesday, 24 July recalled his childhood trauma of being "molested" in a bus in Kolkata while speaking on a bill which provides for death penalty for aggravated sexual assaults on children.
While "happily and strongly" supporting the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha, the former well known quizmaster also suggested more and more people in public life come out and speak about sexual abuses.
He said children should be encouraged to speak up and not hide incidents wherein they have been traumatised in this manner.
The senior TMC member recalled that he did not speak about the incident for several years, and brought it up with his parents much later in the life.
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill entailing amendments to the POCSO Act by including death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children, besides providing stringent punishments for other crimes against minors.
Now the bill would be send to the Lok Sabha for its approval.
It was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani.
Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to strengthen the POCSO Act to combat rising cases of child sex abuse.
Rising to support the bill, Congress leader Vivek K Tankha said, "I welcome the bill. But the stringent provisions are not stopping such incidents."
AIADMK leader Vijila Sathyananth also supported the bill and demanded chemical castration of convicts who do such heinous crimes.
She also demanded that the budget allocated by the government under the women and child development be fully utilised as despite making provision of good amounts, the funds remain largely unutilised.
Sarojini Hembram of the BJD supported the bill and said social media and television were negatively impacting the minds of children.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
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