A STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF POCSO ACT ON CHILD RAPE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHENNAI
AUTHOR – SAMYUKTHA GANESAN, STUDENT AT SAVEETHA SCHOOL OF LAW, SAVEETHA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL AND TECHNICAL SCIENCE (SIMATS)
BEST CITATION – SAMYUKTHA GANESAN, A STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF POCSO ACT ON CHILD RAPE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHENNAI, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (2) OF 2024, PG. 1134-1151, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344
ABSTRACT
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, implemented in India in 2012, aimed to provide robust legal protection to children against sexual abuse and exploitation, including child rape. This research paper critically examines the effectiveness of the POCSO Act in addressing the pervasive issue of child rape within the Indian context.Furthermore, this research examines the role of various stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, judiciary, government bodies, NGOs, and civil society, in the effective implementation of the POCSO Act. It identifies best practices and areas for improvement to enhance the protection of children from sexual offences, particularly child rape, in alignment with international standards and human rights principles. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on child protection and offers recommendations for policy reforms, institutional strengthening, community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to create a safer environment for children and combat the scourge of child rape effectively. The research method followed is descriptive research. The data is collected through a questionnaire and the sample size is 207. Convenience sampling method is adopted in the study to collect the data . The samples were collected from the general public with special reference to the Chennai region.The primary discovery of the study indicates that integrating educational programs within schools is recommended to bolster the efficacy of the POCSO Act in preventing and tackling child sexual abuse. Criticisms directed at the POCSO Act concerning its handling of child rape cases include the absence of child-friendly procedures and delays in trial proceedings.A significant portion of the population acknowledges that sufficient support services for victims of child sexual abuse in Tamil Nadu are lacking, and the effectiveness of awareness campaigns on the POCSO Act in Tamil Nadu in educating the public is recognized. However, there is a general lack of familiarity with the provisions of the POCSO Act among the populace.People should be informed about the POCSO Act and work towards reducing the incidence of child rape in India.
Keywords: Sexual offences, children, child rape, child friendly procedures,victims and campaigns.