Can You Stop Boys And Girls From Eloping: Supreme Court On POCSO Act Misuse

The Supreme Court while hearing a suo motu case on adolescent privacy rights noted that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act is often invoked in cases of elopement. Justices observed that criminalizing consensual acts between minors through strict legislation poses a challenge for the judicial system when young couples choose to flee together.

During the proceedings, the bench remarked on the difficulty of controlling natural adolescent behavior through prohibitive laws. The court emphasized that the primary intent of the POCSO Act was to protect children from predators, yet its current application often targets voluntary romantic associations, leading to long-term legal consequences for youth.

The court further explored how the right to privacy should be balanced with child protection measures. The discussions form part of a broader judicial review aimed at potentially refining how the legal system treats ‘quasi-consensual’ cases where no actual exploitation or force is present. Source: Supreme Court hearing on POCSO and privacy.