A Decade of POCSO: Developments, Challenges And Insights From Judicial Data
Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy launched a report, ‘A Decade of POCSO: Developments, Challenges and Insights from Judicial Data’.
Highlights:
- As per 2020 NCRB data, over 90% of perpetrators are people known to victims
- High pendency of cases
- Low conviction rate ( only around 14% )
- Issue of a higher age of consent thereby minors getting convicted for even consensual acts.
- Tamil Nadu stands ahead of other States in terms of reporting cases and conviction of the accused.
- Need for after-school care: Children whose parents work are usually left on their own after school, and this heightens vulnerability
POCSO Act 2012:
- It was passed to protect children from sexual abuse/assault/harassment or pornography.
- Features of the act :
- Establish Special Courts to try sexual offences involving children in a child-friendly manner.
- Gender neutral law
- Effective reporting, recording of evidence and investigation.
- The National Commission for protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and its states monitor the implementation of the law.
