The POCSO ACT 2012 : Stop the Abuse , Stop the Cruelty , Stop the Slaughter !

In India, Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a major issue in terms of public health. First contacts with abused children and their families are frequently made by pediatricians and other medical specialists. By offering immediate and ongoing care and assistance to the victims and their families, doctors play a crucial part in the detection of child sexual abuse. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 was enacted by the Government of India to provide an extremely strong legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, by incorporating child friendly mechanisms for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and speedy trial of offences through designated Special Courts. The clinical examination of child sexual abuse, as well as its prevention, management, and reporting, need pediatricians and other health care providers to develop the necessary expertise. Regarding securing the future of our children, the law has also developed recently. But there hasn't changed much in terms of public awareness of this problem. In order to better understand this societal evil, the rights of our children and role of doctors, we aim to be as clear as possible in this paper.