Mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse offences: Call for reform in the POCSO Act
Reporting systems as envisioned under the POCSO Act should refrain from excessive emphasis towards punitive consequences of non-compliance and generating blanket obligations. Instead, reporting systems must primarily be help-oriented, which may or may not involve legal enforcement at the initial stage, so as to empower the child victim with necessary resources and social support to recognise, confront and report abuse.