The Correlation Between Female Police Presence and Victim Trust

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 envisages a child-friendly justice system by mandating gender-sensitive procedures, including the involvement of women police officers during investigation and medical examination. However, the persistent underrepresentation of women in India’s police force significantly undermines these statutory safeguards. With women constituting only around 12% of the total police strength and an even smaller proportion occupying supervisory positions, child victims often face secondary victimisation, delayed investigations, compromised evidence collection, and psychological trauma. This paper examines the historical evolution of women’s participation in policing, analyses the implementation gap between POCSO mandates and institutional realities, and evaluates recent judicial interventions, government policies, and statistical trends. It further explores the structural barriers limiting women’s recruitment, retention, and promotion within law enforcement. The study concludes by recommending enforceable recruitment quotas, gender-sensitive infrastructure, specialised POCSO training, promotion reforms, and robust monitoring mechanisms to strengthen victimcentred policing and improve access to justice for children.