Medical law: POCSO reporting: 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.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical law: POCSO reporting

Sample item

A 15-year-old girl, 14 weeks pregnant, says the sex was consensual with her 17-year-old boyfriend and begs the doctor not to tell anyone. What is the doctor's legal duty under the POCSO Act, 2012?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Report the case to the police or special juvenile police unit, since reporting is mandatory

Under the POCSO Act, any person who has knowledge or apprehension that a child under 18 years has been sexually abused, including a doctor, must report it to the special juvenile police unit or local police, and failure to report is punishable. Consent of a person below 18 is not legally valid in the Act. Medical care, counselling and, where appropriate, termination should proceed with the child's best interest in mind.

Option by option

  • A. Report only after the pregnancy is terminated

    The duty to report arises when the doctor knows of the abuse and not after any procedure.

  • B. Keep the information confidential, since the girl has requested it

    The duty to report overrides confidentiality, and the child's wish does not remove it.

  • C. Report the case to the police or special juvenile police unit, since reporting is mandatory (correct)

    Correct. Reporting is mandatory under the Act even if the child requests secrecy.

  • D. Report only if the parents agree

    Parental permission is not a precondition for reporting.

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.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, Report the case to the police or special juvenile police unit, since reporting is mandatory. Under the POCSO Act, any person who has knowledge or apprehension that a child under 18 years has been sexually abused, including a doctor, must report it to the special juvenile police unit or local police, and failure to report is punishable.

Why is "Report only after the pregnancy is terminated" not the answer?

The duty to report arises when the doctor knows of the abuse and not after any procedure.

Why is "Keep the information confidential, since the girl has requested it" not the answer?

The duty to report overrides confidentiality, and the child's wish does not remove it.

Why is "Report only if the parents agree" not the answer?

Parental permission is not a precondition for reporting.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law: POCSO reporting in Forensic Medicine. Consent of a person below 18 is not legally valid in the Act. Medical care, counselling and, where appropriate, termination should proceed with the child's best interest in mind.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Medical law: POCSO reporting?

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.