Akshat Sharma43,000 offences under POCSO Act registered last year: AG KK Venugopal to SC
Attorney General of India KK Venugopal informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the Protection of Children from Sexual Crimes (POCSO) Act will register 43,000 offences in 2020.
During the hearing of appeals against the controversial Bombay High Court judgment that held that groping a minor's breast without "skin to skin contact" cannot be considered sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Attorney General provided the information.
As far as POCSO is concerned, he believes the decision is ludicrous.
"The judge said skin to skin contact is required. This would mean someone can wear a surgical glove & exploit a child & get away scot-free. The accused tried to bring down the salwar & even then bail was granted. This would be a precedent for magistrates in Maharashtra. Better appreciation would be needed for the definition of sexual assault. There are 43,000 POCSO offences in the last year" - KK Venugopal
