Tamil Nadu child deaths prompt court warning on re‑traumatizing minors

Two teenage girls in Tamil Nadu died by suicide in separate incidents in July 2026. Fifteen‑year‑old Bala Rakshana was found unresponsive in a private school hostel near Orikkai, Kancheepuram, and died after being taken to a private hospital. Sixteen‑year‑old Sabiya, a student in Egattur near Kelambakkam, jumped from the eighth floor of her home after an argument with her parents over social‑media use. Police have registered cases and investigations are ongoing in both districts.

The Madras High Court ruled that a child survivor in a POCSO sexual‑assault case must not be recalled for further cross‑examination, stating, "The child cannot be repeatedly called to relive the ordeal. As soon as possible, the child has to be healed." Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy emphasized that the law should not become a source of trauma and cited Section 33(5) of the POCSO Act, urging a victim‑centric approach to protect minors from secondary victimisation.