India Supreme Court Examines POCSO Use on Consensual Teens

The Supreme Court of India has questioned the routine application of a stringent child protection law in cases involving consensual relationships between teenagers, highlighting concerns over its misuse by families to protect their honor. The court's observations came during a hearing on Monday, July 13, 2026, as it examined the privacy rights of adolescents and the application of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan asked whether consensual teenage relationships should automatically be treated as criminal offences under the POCSO Act, which is designed to protect children from sexual assault and exploitation. The court noted a recurring pattern where parents, objecting to relationships involving their teenage daughters, file criminal complaints under the act after the adolescents elope. "Parents, to protect their honour, fasten criminal liability. We have to acquit," the bench observed.

The proceedings stem from a suo motu case initiated by the Supreme Court after it set aside a controversial 2023 Calcutta High Court judgment that had advised adolescent girls to control their sexual urges. The...