Monitoring school vans to check child abuse

As a result of many complaints being received by the police regarding child abuse taking place in school vans, a circular has been issued by the Police setting out new conditions for local police officers to observe regarding school vans, DIG Gamini Navaratne said.

According to the circular, all police stations should maintain a list of school vans operating in their respective areas. The list must contain names and personal details including telephone numbers of the driver, the owner of the van and the names of children who are being transported in that van.

The circular gives orders to OICs to personally check on the past records of school van drivers and see whether they have criminal complaints or any court cases against them. The OICs are to assemble all the school van owners and drivers at least once in six months and look into their problems, if any. If the police receive a complaint on child abuse, the Child Protection Authority has to be informed immediately.

The circular stipulates that every school van should have a female assistant whose details should be included in the police lists. The shutters of the school vans should not be tinted and the vehicles should display, both at the front and the back of the van, the telephone numbers of the police station under which they are registered. The circular says legal action would be taken against owners of vehicles that are not suitable to transport children. It prohibits parking of vehicles in lonely areas and expects police officers to patrol the places where the school vans are parked.