Abstract

Background: The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was enacted in 2012 with a view to curbing the menace of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography on children. The present study gives a profile of cases registered under the Act and subsequently brought to the Forensic Medicine Department for the purpose of medicolegal age estimation. Material and methods: Research was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, NEIGRIHMS, Shillong. Data was extracted from records maintained in the office and analyzed using statistical software SPSS version 11 by descriptive analysis. All cases brought for age estimation under the POCSO Act, 2012 for the period May 2013 to June 2018 were included. Results: Medical examinations were performed in compliance to police requisitions from four districts of the state of Meghalaya. A total of 26 (twenty-six) individuals were brought for age estimation during the study period. Among those examined, 81% were victims and 19% accused in sexual offences. The majority of victims were female children in the 6–15 age group. Conclusion: These findings should draw the attention of doctors and healthcare workers to the problem of sexual crime against children and prompt them to work together with law enforcement and social organizations in securing justice for the vulnerable.

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