Delhi High Court Rules POCSO Cases Cannot Be Settled by Victim's Family

The Delhi High Court has ruled that child sexual abuse cases cannot be resolved through out-of-court settlements arranged by the victim's family. Justice Sachin Datta issued the order while hearing a petition filed by an accused standing trial under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused had sought to have the case quashed after reaching a settlement with the minor survivor through her family's intervention. The court firmly rejected this attempt, reinforcing that such serious criminal cases involving minors cannot be extinguished by private agreements. The ruling underscores that POCSO offences are matters of public interest and fall beyond the scope of personal or family-mediated settlements.