Child sexual abuse laws in India

Child sexual abuse laws in India have been enacted as part of the nation's child protection policies. The Parliament of India passed the 'Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Bill, 2011' regarding child sexual abuse on May 22, 2012 into Act.[1][2] The rules formulated by the government in accordance with the law have also been notified on th November 2012 and the law has become ready for implementation.[3] Fifty three percent of children in India face some form of child sexual abuse.[4] The need for stringent law has been felt many times.[5][6][7]

Law Before the 2012 legislation was passed

Goa Children's Act, 2003,[8] was the only specific piece of child abuse legislation before the 2012 Act. Child sexual abuse was prosecuted under the following sections of Indian Penal Code:

However, the IPC could not effectively protect the child due to various loopholes like:

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act

The new Act[9] provides for a variety of offenses under which an accused can be punished. It recognizes forms of penetration other than peno-vaginal penetration[10] and criminalizes acts of immodesty against children too. The act is gender-neutral. With respect to pornography, the Act criminalizes even watching or collection of pornographic content involving children.[11] The Act makes abettment of child sexual abuse an offense.[12] It also provides for various procedural reforms,[13][14][15][16] making the tiring process of trial in India considerably easier for children. The Act has been criticized as its provisions seem to criminalize consensual sexual intercourse between two people below the age of 18. The 2001 version of the Bill did not punish consensual sexual activity if one or both partners were above 16 years.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Parliament passes bill to protect children from sexual abuse". NDTV. May 22, 2012.
  2. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Kerala Medico-legal Society website
  3. ↑ Law for Protecting Children from Sexual Offences
  4. ↑ "The sounds of silence: Child sexual abuse in India". The Morung Express. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Need stringent laws to curb child sexual abuse: Tirath". News.in.msn.com. 2012-03-053 March 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ Taneja, Richa (13 November 2010). "Activists bemoan lack of laws to deal with child sexual abuse". DNA India. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Need stricter laws to deal with child abuse cases: Court". Indian Express. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-1414 May 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  8. ↑ "CHILDLINE India Foundation : Documents - Cause ViewPoint - CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE- The Law and the Lacuna". Childlineindia.org.in. 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  9. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 pdf
  10. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 2
  11. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 3
  12. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 4
  13. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 5
  14. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 6
  15. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 7
  16. ↑ The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 Chapter 8
  17. ↑ "Good act, bad provision". The Hindu. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
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