A LEGAL STUDY ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN INDIA: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POCSO ACT, 2012
AUTHOR – RAJ SONI, STUDENT AT SCHOOL OF LAW, CHRIST (DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY), BANGALORE
BEST CITATION – RAJ SONI, A LEGAL STUDY ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN INDIA: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POCSO ACT, 2012, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (1) OF 2026, PG. 131-144, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
ABSTRACT
This research paper looks at the serious and often overlooked problem of child sexual abuse (CSA) in India, with a special focus on how the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, is being used in practice. By studying NCRB data from 2015 to 2022 and reviewing landmark cases, it shows a sharp rise in reported CSA cases along with the huge backlog of trials, pointing to a big gap between the promise of strong laws and how they are applied on the ground. Conviction rates remain low, between 29.6% and 39.6%, mainly because of weak evidence, delays in court, and witnesses turning hostile. Deep-rooted social barriers like stigma, fear of family dishonour, and patriarchal attitudes further stop victims from reporting cases, while new online dangers such as grooming and AI-generated child sexual abuse material are creating fresh hurdles for police and courts. The paper also examines constitutional and international commitments to child protection, changes brought into the POCSO Act—including the introduction of the death penalty in certain cases—and the ongoing debate over whether harsher punishments actually improve justice delivery. It also emphasises the significance of victim-sensitive methods, trauma-informed policies, and rehabilitation in order to guarantee survivors true justice. The paper makes the case that reforms need to be more than merely passing new legislation, using a combination of statistics, legal analysis, and international comparisons. To effectively address CSA, India needs to increase social awareness, fortify digital safety, and expedite investigations and trials. Only a holistic approach combining law, psychology, and community support can make child protection genuinely effective.
KEYWORDS: POCSO Act, Child Sexual Abuse, Judicial Backlog, Digital Crime, Victim Rehabilitation.