Consider the following statements regarding the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012: 1. The POCSO Act defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years and covers offences such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and the use of children for pornographic purposes. 2. In 2019, the Act was amended to introduce the provision of capital punishment for certain aggravated sexual offences against children. 3. The Act mandates that trials for offences committed under it must be completed within three years from the date of the offence. Which of the above statements is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 1 and 3 only

[C] 2 and 3 only

[D] 1, 2, and 3

Answer: A

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Act clearly defines a child as anyone under 18 years and lays out specific offences such as penetrative sexual assault (Sec 3), sexual assault (Sec 7), sexual harassment (Sec 11), use in pornography (Sec 13), and abetment (Sec 16–18).
Statement 2 is correct: The 2019 amendment introduced stricter punishments, including the death penalty for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Act mandates that trials must be completed within one year from the date of cognizance, not three years.

Source– TH

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