Courts disposed of 87,754 POCSO cases in 2025 against 80,320 new registrations

For the first time, courts in India disposed of more child sexual abuse cases than were registered in a single year.

• In 2025, 87,754 POCSO cases were disposed of against 80,320 new registrations.
• This pushed the national disposal rate to 109%, marking a significant breakthrough in addressing judicial pendency.

About the Report

• Findings are from the report ‘Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse’.
• Published by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB) for Children, an initiative of India Child Protection.

Persistent Backlog Remains

• Despite progress, structural challenges persist:
  • 2,62,089 POCSO cases were pending nationally till 2023.
  • Nearly 50% of pending cases have remained unresolved for over two years.
  • Conviction rates fluctuate widely, with sharp inter-State disparities.

Key Recommendations

• To clear the entire backlog within four years, the report recommends:
  • Setting up 600 additional e-POCSO courts across India.
  • An estimated funding requirement of ₹1,977 crore over four years.
  • Utilisation of the Nirbhaya Fund to finance the expansion.

About the POCSO Act, 2012

• Enacted to protect children (below 18 years) from sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Provides punishments based on the gravity of offences.
• Mandates special courts under Section 28 for speedy and child-sensitive trials.

Stricter Punishments (2019 Amendment)

• Introduced more stringent penalties, including the death penalty, to deter crimes against children.

Key Penal Provisions

• Section 4: Minimum 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment, extendable to life imprisonment, for penetrative sexual assault.
• Section 6: Death penalty or life imprisonment if assault results in death or persistent vegetative state.
• Section 8: 3–5 years’ imprisonment for sexual assault.
• Section 10: Minimum 5 years’ imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault (e.g., abuse of trust, authority, or resulting in pregnancy).
• Section 14: Up to 7 years’ imprisonment for using children for pornographic purposes.

Sources: TH & PIB