In December 2022, Enfold Proactive Health Trust, with support from UNICEF-India and UNFPA, published its analysis of 1715 “romantic cases” decided between 2016 and 2020 by Special Courts under the POCSO Act in Assam, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, and a Policy Brief on the Implication of the POCSO Act in India on Adolescent Sexuality. These reports provide data on the manner in which “romantic” cases enter the criminal justice system, the profile of informants and “victims”, nature of charges applied in such cases, and the trends in testimony of the “victims” and its correlation with the outcomes. The policy brief unpacks the implications of 18 years as the age of consent on adolescents’ rights under domestic law and international human rights law, and proposes a policy alternative that advances rights and strikes a balance between their protection and evolving autonomy.
Join us for the presentation and participate in a discussion with the co-author, Swagata Raha.
Date: January 13, 2023
Time: 6 PM
Venue: Alternative Law Forum, 122/4, Infantry Road, Bangalore – 560001
About the Speaker:
Swagata Raha, is Director, Research and Co-Director, Restorative Practices at Enfold Proactive Health Trust. She has authored several articles, studies, and books on juvenile justice, laws on child sexual abuse, and human rights institutions. She has been a part of the Rule Drafting Committees in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh for the preparation of the State Juvenile Justice Rules. She has led several studies on the implementation of the POCSO Act and on “romantic cases” under the POCSO Act. She has co-authored the Policy Brief on the Implication of the POCSO Act in India on Adolescent Sexuality and the report on “Romantic Cases” under the POCSO Act (2022). She earned Mst in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University and B.A.LLB (Hons) from W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences.