Victims of child abuse need not undergo the trauma of repeated appearance in court in future, as the government is contemplating enforcing a comprehensive guideline for dealing with cases.

The draft guidelines prepared by a committee set up by the Women and Child Development Ministry also proposes that victims can only be examined in the presence of a known person.

“We hope that the guidelines provide a clear picture to states on how to deal with such cases. The guidelines are prepared in such a way that it addresses the sensitivity of the victim,” Union Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chaudhury said.

The minister said there exist “ambiguities” in dealing with child abuse victims and hoped that the new guidelines would act as an yardstick for states.