India, Aug. 19 -- The Karnataka high court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by a 52-year-old woman seeking to quash a sexual assault complaint filed against her under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, by the parents of a minor boy.

Justice M Nagaprasanna refused to quash the ongoing proceedings in the case against the woman and said that the provisions of the POCSO Act apply to both men and women, making it gender-neutral.

"The POCSO Act, being a progressive enactment, is intended to safeguard the sanctity of childhood. It is rooted in gender neutrality, with its beneficent object being the protection of children, irrespective of sex," the court said.

The court further said that offences of penetrative se...