The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
The The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, with its 46 sections listed below.
- Act number
- 32 of 2012
- Year
- 2012
- Published by
- India Code · Government of India
- Edition
- India Code source edition; cover states: 1st July, 2026
Sections
- 1. Short title, extent and commencement
- 3. Penetrative sexual assault
- 4. Punishment for penetrative sexual assault
- 5. Aggravated penetrative sexual assault
- 6. Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault
- 7. Sexual assault
- 8. Punishment for sexual assault
- 9. Aggravated sexual assault
- 10. Punishment for aggravated sexual assault
- 11. Sexual harassment
- 12. Punishment for sexual harassment
- 13. Use of ch ild for pornographic purposes
- 14. Punishment for using child for pornographic purposes
- 15. Punishment for storage of pornographic material involving child
- 16. Abetment of an offence
- 17. Punishment for abetment
- 18. Punishment for attempt to commit an offence
- 19. Reporting of offences
- 20. Obligation of media, studio and photographic facilities to report cases
- 21. Punishment for failure to report or rec ord a case
- 22. Punishment for false complaint or false information
- 23. Procedure for media
- 24. Reco rding of statement of a child
- 25. Recording of state ment of a child by Magistrate
- 26. Additional provisions regarding statement to be recorded
- 27. Medical examination of a child
- 28. Designation of Special Courts
- 29. Presumption as to certain offence s
- 30. Presumption of culpable mental state
- 31. Application of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to proc eedings before a Special Court
- 32. Special Public Prosecutors
- 33. Procedur e and powers of Special Court
- 34. Procedure in case of commission of offence by child and determi nation of age by Special Court
- 35. Period for recording of evidence of child and disposal of case
- 36. Child not to see accu sed at the time of testifying
- 37. Tri als to be conducted in camera
- 38. Assistance of an interpreter or expert whil e recording evidence of child
- 39. Guidelines for child to ta ke assistance of experts, etc
- 40. Right of child to take assistance of legal practitioner
- 41. Provisions of sections 3 to 13 not to apply i n certain cases
- 42. Alternate punishment
- 42A. Act not in derogation of any other law
- 43. Public awareness about Act
- 44. Monitoring of implementation of Act
- 45. Power to make rules
- 46. Power to remove difficulties
For research. Check the official gazette and later amendments before citing a section.