Saving Young Adults In Consensual Relationships From Prosecution Under Child Sex Abuse Law Has Become A Matter Of Luck https://article-14.com/post/saving-young-adults-in-consensual-relationships-from-prosecution-under-child-sex-abuse-law-has-become-a-matter-of-luck--67623c70a081b?s=08 Raksha Kumar Wednesday, 18 Dec, 2024 India’s law on child abuse requires mandatory criminal procedure to be initiated against anyone who has sex with those below the age of 18. Most police personnel and judges across the country follow the letter of the law. However, given the magnitude of such cases, police and judiciary of some states have refrained from criminalising young adults and teenagers in consensual relationships.
For decades, child rights activists fought hard for a separate law against child abuse.
In 2012, the POCSO Act was enacted, which widened the definition of sexual violence and incorporated child-friendly procedures for reporting, investigation, recording of evidence, and trial. Many termed it “pathbreaking” but noted that punishment for failure to report the crime, even among consensual partners, came with its own complications.