Cabinet approves death penalty for aggravated sexual crimes against minors under POCSO Act

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved death punishment in aggravated sexual offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Cabinet has approved amendments to various sections of the POCSO Act. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved death punishment in aggravated sexual offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. With this move, the government aims to make punishment more stringent for those committing sexual crimes against children. Speaking to reporters in a media briefing, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the cabinet has made the amendments to make the law governing crimes against children more stringent. Prasad further said that children should be protected from sexual offences and the Cabinet has approved amendments to various sections of the POCSO Act. “This is a wholesome initiative whereby the entire POCSO architecture is not only strengthened but also enlarged so that artificial medicines or hormones could not be abused to kill the childliness of a child,” he said adding that an unfortunate thing was going on in the country - that children were being administered hormones to make them artificially majors. In the aftermath of the brutal Kathua gangrape and murder case which had sparked nationwide outrage, Union Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi had proposed the amendments in the POCSO Act. During his press conference in the national capital today, Prasad also stated that the government has made provision to safeguard children from natural calamities and disasters from being abused or administered hormones to attain early sexual maturity for purpose of assault.

Union Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad: Cabinet has approved death penalty in aggravated sexual offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. pic.twitter.com/E1JB8xCOOq

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2018

“To put a check on child pornography, the government has decided to levy hefty fines for not deleting child pornography material. Even if someone does not report child pornography activities, he/she would be held responsible and will also invite heavy fine,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. The POCSO Act was introduced in 2012 and modified earlier to make it as effective as possible. The development took place after a 40-year-old man was accused of raping his three-year-old neighbour in New Delhi. Reports also stated that locals found the girl lying face down and unconscious near a school in Bindapur. It can also be speculated that cabinet's move towards curbing the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors in the backdrop of the increase in number of cases including Muzaffarpur shelter home in Bihar and the Deoria shelter home in Uttar Pradesh.