Author: Bhavesh

Abstract POCSO Act stands for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, enacted in 2012 to protect children from sexual offences during their formative years. However, deviating from its original purpose, the Act has increasingly been weaponized by disapproving parents of girl children against their teenage lovers. These young couples are entangled within the strict provisions of POCSO when their relationships go beyond platonic limits, since the consent of minors is immaterial in the eyes of the law. The Act raised the age of valid consent to 18 years, making adolescent males vulnerable to charges of sexual abuse, even…