An online complaint box for reporting child sexual abuse, the POCSO e-Box was launched by the Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), e-Box, is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.
The idea of an e-Box came out of a police initiative in which physical complaint boxes were placed in schools. The e-Box will make it possible to implement it on a large scale throughout the country.
A large number of incidents of abuse are against close relatives and so they get pushed under the carpet.
E-Box is very simple to operate and will help to maintain the confidentiality of the complaint.
The e-Box is incorporated prominently in the home page of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) website where a user has to simply push a button named POSCO e-Box.
According to a study, about 53% of children surveyed, reported having faced one or the other form of sexual abuse in their lifetime. In most cases, the offender is a family member/near relative or an acquaintance.
Being concerned about such offences against children, the Government enacted POCSO Act, 2012 to protect them from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process, by incorporating child friendly mechanisms for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and speedy trial of offences through designated Special Courts.
Any human being up to the age of 18 years is recognised as a child under the POCSO Act.