India’s Laws on Child Sexual Abuse

The law should always illustrate the nature of the offenses when dealing with child sexual abuse and exploitation, avoid trying to minimize abusive behavior and treat abuse as violent crime. Sex assault occurs when a male, woman, or children is forced to engage in sexual activity against their consent. Children are protected from sexual assaults, harassment, and pornography under Indian laws against child sexual abuse. The Indian Penal Code initially only included provisions regarding sexual offenses, making it unable to handle all forms of juvenile sexual offenses. Later, on November 14, 2012, a special legislation known as the POCSO Act was passed. Its gender-neutral implementing regulations were approved, in order to identify the problem of sexual molestation of a child. This Act included trial courts, special courts, case-reporting procedures, failure to disclose cases, misuse of acts, penalties, and compensation. Care and Protection of Children Act is an act to provide for supervision, safeguarding, action towards, turn-off events, and recovery of ignored and repeat offenders. In this chapter we discuss various laws being implemented in India, to provide a judgment regarding issues related to POCSO, juvenile justice, age determination, legal counsel, friendly guidelines for children, care and protection of children.