In a first-of-its-kind case, the High Court of Karnataka on Friday terminated a criminal case registered against a 16-year-old boy under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, by accepting the agreement of the parents of both the accused boy and the 16-year-old victim girl to mutually put an end to the case keeping in mind the interest of the adolescents.
Cannot punish those in love
“The laudable object for which the POCSO Act was brought into effect cannot be forgotten, but that would not mean that it is meant to punish young children who would fall in love and commit such acts which would become punishable under the Act...,” the court said.
