‘Pocso Act amendment for boy victims before Cabinet soon’

New Delhi, July 22 (IANS): In an attempt to make gender neutral laws, the Women and Child Development Ministry has brought in amendments in the existing Pocso law to cover sexual abuse of the boy child and these will be sent for Cabinet approval very soon, a ministry official said.
“Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act has always striven to develop gender-neutral laws. While the Cabinet has already given its nod proposing death sentence for convicts raping girls below 12, the same has been proposed for boy victims,” the official said.

The Law Ministry has cleared the amendments to enhance punishment in cases of sexual assault against young boys and it will be sent to the Cabinet in next 2-3 days, the official added.

Woman and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has been pushing for bringing in the amendment and had earlier also written to the states batting for equal rights to male child victims of sexual abuse.

Gandhi earlier had also supported a petition on Change.org by film-maker-activist Insia Dariwala, who said, “male child sexual abuse is an ignored reality in India”.