Cabinet approves amendment of POCSO

Guwahati, December 29, 2018:

In a latest development of government’s initiative, the Cabinet has approved to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 to make punishment more rigid for committing sexual crimes against children.

POCSO Act 2012 was established to protect children against offences like sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography.

On the approval, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said children should be protected from sexual offences and the Cabinet has approved amendments to various sections of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act to achieve this.

Addressing media, Ravi Shankar Prasad said the amendments to sections 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15 and 42 of the POCSO Act, 2012, are made to address child sexual abuse in an appropriate manner. While an official statement said sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Act are proposed to be amended to provide the option of stringent punishment that includes- death penalty, for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a child.

The section-9 is to be amended to protect children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities and disasters. Sections 14 and 15 are proposed to be amended to address the threat of the child pornography.