The Supreme Court has asked the Union government to introduce a ‘Romeo-Juliet’ clause in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to exempt genuine adolescent relationships from criminal prosecution by their families and others who use the law to “settle scores”.
The clause is a legal exemption to protect consensual sexual activity among teenagers who are close in age from prosecution for statutory rape.
Supreme Court flags misuse of POCSO Act to penalise adolescent relationships, mulls directions to raise awareness
“POCSO cases filed at the behest of a girl’s family objecting to romantic involvement with a young boy have become commonplace and consequent thereto these young boys languish in jails,” Justice Sanjay Karol observed in the post-script of a January 9 judgment authored by him.
Alarm at POCSO abuse
