Protecting Whom? What POCSO Looks Like on the Ground in Tribal Odisha
The POCSO Act aims to protect and empower children and communities; however, clashes between customary practices and the letter of the law can lead to a breakdown in trust and, ultimately, betray the very persons it seeks to protect. In this piece, the authors look at how over-inclusion (criminalising consensual, customary practices) and under-protection (ineffective response to community intimidation) can risk undermining the application of the POCSO Act in tribal communities in Odisha.