Report of NHRC Committee on Missing Children

July 2, 2007

Deeply concerned with the manner in which young children went missing from Nithari village in Noida, UP, the National Human Rights Commission constituted a Committee on February 12, 2007 to examine the issue in depth. The Committee was also to evolve simple and practical guidelines so that the Commission can come up with appropriate recommendations. The Committee held wide ranging consultations with various stakeholders in government, including Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Social Welfare, Delhi Government, Delhi Police, National Crime Records Bureau, UNICEF and leading NGOs in India working in this field and also experts having indepth knowledge of the subject.
After carrying out intensive consultations the NHRC committee came out with the following recommendations which would be forwarded to relevant authorities across the States and Union Territories and also to the Government of India so that tracing and restoring missing children back to their families would become an easier task.
Recommendations/Suggestions of the NHRC Committee

1. PRIORTY ISSUE: Irrefutably, the problem of 'Missing Children' is a grave matter which is also a human rights issue. It is acknowledged that it has not been received the attention it deserves from the government and society at large. Therefore, this issue needs to be made a "priority issue" by all stakeholders, especially the law enforcement agencies. The Directors General of Police of States should take appropriate steps to issue police orders/circulars/standing instructions etc., sensitize all officers in this regard and also make them accountable.

2. MISSING PERSONS SQUAD/DESK IN POLICE STATIONS: The Committee recommends that every Police Station across the country should have Special Squad/Missing Persons Desk to trace missing children. This Squad/Desk should have a Registering Officer who should be made responsible of registering complaints of missing children. He/she should maintain complete records of efforts made by them to trace missing children as well as by the Special Squad. The Registering Officer should also write incident reports and keep them on record in Station Diary/case diary, as the case may be. In addition to this, the Registering Officer should also work as an Enquiry Officer whereby he/she should be made responsible for following up the entire procedure of tracing/tracking the missing child. The JAPU (Juvenile Aid police Unit) can, if required, be utilized for addressing the issue of missing children, even though the children who are missing can never be labeled as juveniles, but are, in fact, children in need of care and attention. The functioning of this unit/squad should be regularly monitored/ reviewed by Senior Officers and wherever necessary timely instructions and assistance should be provided to the Registering-cum-Enquiry Officer.

3. COURT DIRECTIVES: There is a need to reiterate the implementation of the Supreme Court Guidelines given on 14/11/2002 in Writ Petition (Cri.) No 610 of 1996 filed by Horilal Vs. Commissioner of Police, Delhi & Ors. in all police stations across the country. This would entail prompt and effective steps for tracing missing children.
As per the directions given by the Delhi High Court, a Cell relating to missing persons/children was set up in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This Cell has been functioning ever since but due to lack of adequate resources, desired results could not be achieved. Since the CBI is a Central investigating agency having powers and jurisdiction to take up cases of inter-state and international ramifications, it would be desirable to strengthen this Cell to enhance its capacity to coordinate and investigate criminal cases relating to missing children and persons.

4. ROLE OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION: The legislation enjoins upon the district administration in the country to get places where children are employed, periodically inspected. The Committee notices with deep anguish that in this task the district administration all over the country has failed. This is evident from the fact that even today, the number of children found engaged as domestic help and bonded /child labour is enormous. Again, it is a matter of concern that in the identified cases of child labour and bonded labour in which prosecutions are launched against the employer the conviction rate is not even 1 per cent which obviously has resulted due to lack of supervision. Such an apathy towards this vital issue has to be curbed in favour of a proactive approach. The Committee urges the authorities concerned to hold district administration accountable for dereliction in discharging this responsibility.
The Committee is of the opinion that this exercise of regular inspections, if undertaken with all earnest, will ensure linking back a large number of children missing from their homes.

5. MANDATORY REPORTING: The State Police Headquarters should evolve a system of mandatory reporting whereby all incidents of missing children across the country should be reported to the newly constituted National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) within 24 hours of occurrence. Failure to report promptly would give rise to the presumption that there was an attempt to suppress the incident. The reporting should be done promptly and the procedure could be the same as is being followed by the concerned authorities for reporting custodial death cases to the NHRC.

6. INVOLVING PANCHAYAT RAJ INSTITUTIONS (PRIs) ETC: In order to make the investigative procedures concerning missing children more transparent and user-friendly, it would be preferable for the police investigating team to involve the community at large, such as representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions / Municipal Committees/ Neighbourhood Committees/Resident Welfare Associations, etc, in addition to existing help lines. This will enable the community to get fully involved along with the police in tracing missing children. The Directors-General of Police should seriously consider taking full advantage of these agencies in the task of not only investigating crimes relating to children but also in tracking down missing children. The role of Panchayats and such bodies should be extended to:
· Prompt reporting of missing children;
· Prompt dissemination of intelligence, if any, to the law enforcement agencies;
· Rendering assistance to law enforcement agencies for tracing children;
· Provide timely feed-back to the law enforcement agencies about the return of the child..

7. INVOLVING NGO's: In places where vulnerable groups of children are found in large numbers, there is need for enforcement agencies to evolve some kind of a mechanism in partnership with non-governmental organizations and social workers, whereby apart from rendering counseling to them, awareness raising activities are also carried out. This would not only instill confidence in them but also strengthen them and give them special protection so that they are in no way lured by external agencies/factors. This initiative could be taken by the Missing Children Squad/Cell in the Districts. The DGPs need to ensure action on this initiative.

8. NATIONAL DATABASE AND MONITORING: NCRB should establish a National Tracking System that would encompass the grass-root level in locating and tracing missing children. There should be prompt reporting of not only missing children cases, but also of return/rescue/recovery. All instances where children are rescued from places of exploitation including places of sexual exploitation and also exploitative labour, should be dovetailed into the NCRB data base. The database should be updated on a regular and systematic basis. This also involves revising the reporting format with respect to the rescue and recovery of persons who have been trafficked. The Director NCRB should liaise with the Project Coordinator, Anti Human Trafficking UNODC, New Delhi and workout the format as the UNODC is working in the field of empowering law enforcement agencies and developing appropriate projects etc. with respect to Anti Human Trafficking and related issues. This could be made effective through web-based and other intra and inter State networking linkages. The information that is gathered ought to be appropriately disseminated. It is suggested that the NCRB evolve one-page useful position papers that has information with regard to various crimes, including the relevant statistics. This could be useful and accessible tool for different agencies that are dealing with a particular problem. For example, relevant information relating to missing children, if it is put in a page or two will be far more accessible and readable for all stakeholders than information complied as part of a voluminous report prepared by the NCRB.
9. SCRB/DCRB: There is an urgent need to revive State/District Crime Records Bureax. The database on missing persons, their return and the processes involved should be properly documented. The State Missing Person's Bureax (MPB), needs to be revamped, made functional and strengthened. The officers should be well trained and knowledgeable to address the issues in an analytical manner and from the perspective of Human Rights. The SCRB and the MPB should have proper liaison between them, so that the database of SCRB and NCRB are dovetailed to the functioning of MPB and the Special cell/ squad to be set up in the Police Stations. The MPB data should be specifically updated with the data of rescued children from trafficking crimes.

10. HELPLINE: There is a need to establish a Child Helpline through NGOs/PRIs/other agencies with adequate support from Government in all the districts. The Department of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India, may take the initiative to set up such a national network.

11. OUTSOURCING PRELIMINARY INQUIRY TO NGOs: The NHRC Committee came to know about several instances where NGOs are actively functional, delivering the best results, in tracing missing children and also documenting them. Such efforts and initiatives have supplemented the work of the law enforcement agencies. The synergy of police and NGOs can be of immense help in addressing this issue and in providing tremendous support to the police agencies who are preoccupied with several other tasks, especially in those places where the police station strength is very poor. Therefore, Preliminary Inquiry into missing persons could be outsourced to NGOs, who are willing to undertake this task. MHA may issue appropriate guidelines to the States in this regard. Each State can identify a few such NGOs and notify them if required. As of today nothing stops NGOs from causing such inquiries and many are already doing this work. Therefore, the best option, in the given situation, is to develop synergy between the law enforcement agencies and the NGOs and institutionalize this partnership.

12. COGNIZABILITY OF THE EVIDENCE: As of now the issue of missing children is not a cognizable offence and the very fact of missing of a child does not convey occurrence of a crime. However, some States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu allow police to register FIRs and take up investigation. In order to facilitate proper enquiry/investigation, it is advisable that an FIR is registered by the police with respect to the issue of missing children. However, experience shows that in many cases a child may not have gone missing and the panic reaction of the parents or wards lead to such reporting. Therefore, all such issues may not warrant registration of an FIR immediately. Nevertheless, it is advisable to register FIR if a missing child does not come back or is not traced within a reasonable time. The State Governments are advised to consider issue of appropriate directions to the law enforcement agencies to set a time limit of 15 days from the date of reporting that if a missing child is not traced back within 15 days, a presumption may be made of some malafide and an FIR registered with respect to all such issues of missing children.

13. SENSITIZATION OF STAKE HOLDERS: There is a need to sensitize all ranks of police personnel and other stakeholders to the issue of missing children. For this a two-day module be designed by BPRD, so that uniform training is imparted to all concerned. Along with this, there is a need to prepare suitable reading material that includes good practices about missing children from other States/Union Territories as well as other countries.

14. RESCUE OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION: There is a need to identify "run away children", "abandoned children" "neglected children" and such "vulnerable children" who are often found roaming around places where they are particularly exposed to abuse and exploitation such as railway stations, traffic junction etc. Their vulnerability increases due to a lack of support structures - family or otherwise. Proper identification, provision of care and support, and a 'safe place' is vital for them. These children are, under the JJ Act, are the children in need of care and attention which they should be given. This can be achieved by producing them before CWC and ensuring proper care in the concerned Homes. If Government Homes are not available, Government agencies should support appropriate NGOs to set up such Homes. The State Governments are called upon to notify such NGOs immediately so that they can become functional without delay. States should ensure that such notifications are done on a time frame of one month from the date of application by the NGOs.

15. I-CARD FOR CHIDREN: The local administration should facilitate the schools to keep a watch on their children, especially when they become untraced or become dropouts. Schools and old teaching institutions should introduce photo identity cards of children, so that tracing is possible. All such photos with identity particulars be documented and data base be developed urgently. The State Governments and the Central Government should take initiatives in this regard. Schools should embark on a programme of empowering the children on their rights, legal strengths and defence mechanisms in case of need.

16. POVERTY ALLEVIATION MEASURES: It is acknowledged that poverty is one of the main factors in pushing children into inhospitable conditions and making them vulnerable for exploitation. The Central and State Governments have introduced several schemes to be implemented at Gram Panchayat level with the object of providing job opportunities to the poor and the disadvantaged and elevating them from the poverty line. All these programmes, especially concerning children welfare should be properly planned at the Gram Sabha level following the Antyodaya approach. Schemes such as Mid-day Meal Scheme, Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan, Health Immunization etc. deserve to be properly monitored for achieving optimum results. Proper implementation of these poverty alleviation programs are indeed a human rights approach. If such schemes and programmes of the Government are implemented it can be reasonably expected that the vulnerable sections will become empowered to resist exploitation that often takes place now.

17. ROLE OF STATE COMMISSIONS: There is a need to involve State Human Rights Commissions, Women Commission of State/ Centre etc., with regard to the issue of missing children. Such bodies have tremendous overarching influence on all stakeholders in addressing the issues appropriately in their respective jurisdictions.

18. ROLE OF MEDIA: In view of the current dreadful situation, the media can play an important role in increasing public awareness of missing children and the plight of the thousands of hapless families whose children are listed as untraced. This could be achieved as follows:
§ At the newsroom level, crime reporters and metro editors need to include the category of missing children as a regular beat and as part of their daily news grind.
· These stories need to be followed up and tracked regularly just like other stories of murder, human trafficking, etc. A LOST and FOUND series could be commenced. The cases of missing children being traced/returned home should be treated as the ``good news" stories which will also encourage the police/local authorities to step up their actions.
· The large picture story on the enormity of the continuing malaise of missing children, could coincide with Human Rights Day, Children's Day and so on.
· Newspapers can make a separate section in their classified sections on missing children. The notices and advertisements on missing children need to have a better display and be given more prominence and space in newspapers and TV bulletins.
· Just as some newspapers carry a daily/weekly count of say, victims of terrorism, a new slot of missing children in the city/country can be commenced.
· Newspapers or TV channels with an emphasis on local news can have an arrangement with either the police or a local NGO, which has worked in the area to print without charge announcements and advertisements on missing children.
· The missing child story should also be picked up for the daily crime shows many TV channels have commenced. Just as investigative stories are done on the flesh trade, on organ smuggling etc. case studies of how missing children end up in brothels or factories can be carried. Cases can be picked from solved cases or; where children were smuggled across borders. Identities can be masked if need be.
· Media organizations like media unions, the women's press corps and so on can collaborate with agencies like the NHRC and other NGOs working on children's rights issues to hold seminars and symposiums on the subject.

19. ATTENTION TO TRANSIT POINTS OF TRAFFICKING: There is a need to keep special vigils at railway stations, bus-stands, airports, sea- ports and such other places, which act as transit points for missing children, including children who run away or are made to run away. In this context, the Government Railway Police, the Railway Protection Force, Airport and Seaport authorities needs to be oriented about the issue of missing children.

20. MISSING CHILDREN FROM ACROSS BORDER: This is a grey area, which largely remains unaddressed. It has been reported that several foreign children who have been trafficked into India have been punished as illegal immigrants and are made to suffer. NHRC recommends the state governments to undertake review of all such cases and provide relief to such children, as all trafficked children, irrespective of their nationality, are children in need of care and attention. Moreover, there is a need of developing a Protocol on this issue. It is learnt that UNODC in its anti human trafficking project can provide the required technical assistance. In this regard the Ministry of Women and Child Development can utilize the technical assistance of UNODC and in close coordination with the MEA, develop a protocol on this topic. The Project Coordinator, UNODC may provide the required technical assistance.

21. SURVEY AND RESEARCH: The world of missing children is unknown and there is no proper study or research on this issue. Even today the exact figures of missing or traced children are not available. The existing legislation requires the State and district authorities to periodically carry out inspections/surveys of places where children are employed with a view to identifying missing children and those engaged in bonded labour/child labour. This task has remained a low priority area. There is an urgent need for the State administration to undertake micro studies especially at the places where children are reportedly vulnerable.
A village-wise survey of all children who have gone missing or even recovered is an urgent need to understand the realistic dimensions of the problem. Studies by academic institutions into various factors behind the vulnerability of children are recommended in order to generate right response.