Delhi HC issues directives for protecting anonymity of sexual offence victims

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has issued directions to ensure the anonymity and confidentiality of victims of sexual offences.

This comes in an order by Justice Anup Jairam Bhambani in the case of Saleem vs the State of NCT of Delhi, in which he directed the court Registry to scrutinise all filings related to sexual offences and maintain the anonymity of the victim.

The SOPs require the Registry to ensure that details such as the victim's name, address, and photographs are not disclosed in the court's cause-list or filings.

"The Registry must carefully scrutinise all filings relating to sexual offences, to ensure that the anonymity and confidentiality of the prosecutrix/victim/survivor is strictly maintained and the name, parentage, address, social media credentials and photographs of the prosecutrix/victim/survivor must not be disclosed in the filings made in court, including in the memo of parties," the court said.

Additionally, the directions stress on the importance of not disclosing the identity of the victim's family members. If the identity is inadvertently revealed, the filings must be redacted.

"The name, parentage and address of family members of the prosecutrix/victim/survivor — through whom the prosecutrix/victim/survivor could be identified — must not be disclosed in the filings, including in the memo of parties, even if they are accused in the case, since this may indirectly lead to the identification of the prosecutrix/victim/ survivor," the court said.

Parties may present identifying particulars of the victim in sealed covers or electronically locked folders with pass-codes known only to the concerned Court Master if needed in court.

"If the parties wish to cite in court any identifying particulars of the prosecutrix/victim/survivor, including photographs or social media communications etc, such party may bring the same to court in ‘sealed cover’; or file the same in ‘sealed cover’ or in a ‘pass-code locked’ electronic folder and share the pass-code only with the concerned Court Master," the court said.

The directions aim to adhere to the Supreme Court's directives to protect the anonymity and confidentiality of sexual offence victims.

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