Sexual offences: POCSO examination: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Sexual offences: POCSO examination

Sample item

A 9-year-old girl is brought to a district hospital with an allegation of penetrative sexual assault. Under the POCSO Act, how should her medical examination be conducted?

ADeferred until she is old enough to give independent consentBBy a male doctor with a female attendant, after an FIR is registeredCBy any available doctor, only after a magistrate's orderDBy a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or another person she trusts

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. By a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or another person she trusts

The POCSO Act requires that a female child be examined by a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or other person in whom the child has trust. Examination is done without delay and does not wait for an FIR or a magistrate's order, and the doctor must report the offence.

Option by option

A. Deferred until she is old enough to give independent consent
Examination cannot be deferred until adulthood, and consent is given by the parent or guardian for a child.
B. By a male doctor with a female attendant, after an FIR is registered
A girl child must be examined by a woman doctor, and the examination does not wait for an FIR.
C. By any available doctor, only after a magistrate's order
The Act does not make examination depend on a magistrate's order, and delay harms the child and the evidence.
D. By a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or another person she trusts (correct)
A woman doctor with a trusted person present is what the Act specifies.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is D, By a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or another person she trusts. The POCSO Act requires that a female child be examined by a woman doctor, in the presence of a parent or other person in whom the child has trust.

Why is "Deferred until she is old enough to give independent consent" not the answer?

Examination cannot be deferred until adulthood, and consent is given by the parent or guardian for a child.

Why is "By a male doctor with a female attendant, after an FIR is registered" not the answer?

A girl child must be examined by a woman doctor, and the examination does not wait for an FIR.

Why is "By any available doctor, only after a magistrate's order" not the answer?

The Act does not make examination depend on a magistrate's order, and delay harms the child and the evidence.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Sexual offences: POCSO examination in Forensic Medicine. Examination is done without delay and does not wait for an FIR or a magistrate's order, and the doctor must report the offence.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Sexual offences: POCSO examination?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.