The Supreme Court on Thursday said the objective of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act could not be ignored merely because child marriages continue, or worse still, abusers marry their minor victims to escape conviction.
“So, POCSO Act should be ignored by the courts as most of the people at the grassroot level are not filing complaints and there is marriage between the accused and the minor survivors? What is the assurance that he will not abandon her after avoiding conviction?” Justice A.S. Oka asked in court.
The court was dealing with the case of kidnap and rape of a 14-year-old girl in West Bengal. Her mother had registered an FIR. However, she is currently living with her child and the accused, whom the trial court had convicted under the POCSO Act.
