POCSO victim cannot be denied compensation without injury evidence: Allahabad HC

In a significant judgment addressing victim compensation under child protection laws, the Allahabad High Court has clarified that courts cannot automatically reject compensation claims from Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act survivors merely due to the lack of physical injury marks.

The ruling emerged from a case registered at Sarojini Nagar police station in Lucknow on December 7, 2022. A chargesheet was subsequently filed on January 13, 2023, following the police investigation.

The court's decision underscores that establishing sexual offences against children requires examination of multiple factors beyond physical evidence. The judgment recognizes that many cases of child sexual abuse may not result in visible bodily injuries, yet the trauma and harm inflicted on survivors remains substantial and deserving of compensation.

This ruling is expected to have implications for compensation proceedings across similar cases in the state and potentially influence judicial interpretation of victim compensation frameworks under the POCSO Act more broadly. The decision reinforces that courts must adopt a holistic approach when evaluating compensation claims, taking into account the psychological and emotional harm suffered by child survivors alongside forensic evidence.

The Allahabad High Court's pronouncement serves as a reminder to lower courts that absence of injury marks should not become a technical hurdle in providing justice and remedies to vulnerable victims of sexual crimes.