Enacted in 2012, the POCSO Act was formulated to address the growing menace of child sexual abuse. It provides a robust, child-friendly legal framework to define, penalize, and prevent offenses of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography involving children.

The Act explicitly defines a 'child' as any person below the age of 18 years and is gender-neutral. It incorporates mechanisms to protect the child from further trauma during the investigation and trial process, such as in-camera trials and the prohibition of aggressive cross-examination.

KOSHISH is at the forefront of implementing the POCSO Act on the ground. We conduct widespread community sensitizations, train stakeholders (police, teachers, and medical professionals) on child-friendly procedures, and provide legal, medical, and psychological assistance to survivors and their families to ensure justice is delivered without causing secondary victimization.