POCSO Act, 2012
'The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012' came into force from June 19, 2012.
The Act has been drafted to strengthen the legal provisions for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation. It defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years and provides protection to all children under the age of 18 years from the offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. These offences have been clearly defined for the first time in law. The Act provides for stringent punishments, which have been graded as per the gravity of the offence.