A series of incidents reported in the media from across Assam has prompted people to think that there is still a giant gap in making the people of the state aware of the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). There appears to be a general tendency among people to often hide child sexual abuse in order to protect family respect. This silence, however, may have serious consequences as it puts children in more danger. Moreover, many parents and children remain unaware of their legal rights. This lack of knowledge and awareness causes underreporting of offences and leaves children vulnerable to abuse. Awareness breaks this silence. It teaches children how to stay safe. It also teaches adults how to recognize warning signs. Low awareness of the POCSO Act prevents the protection of minors. There is also a general feeling that a major section of school teachers across Assam lack awareness of their legal duties under the POCSO Act. This creates a severe safety risk for students. The Supreme Court of India is on record saying that a headmaster cannot avoid criminal charges by doing a private inquiry. In a very recent order, the Supreme Court has restored criminal proceedings against the headmistress of a school in Guwahati by holding that a person who receives a direct complaint of sexual assault from a child under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act cannot avoid the legal obligation to report it to police by conducting a private inquiry. The apex court has also set aside the orders of the trial court and the Gauhati High Court, both of which had earlier discharged the said Guwahati headmistress from prosecution for allegedly failing to report the complaint of an eight-year-old student who accused a senior student of sexual assault. Reports quoting the prosecution stated that while the victim child informed her elder sister, the school’s head girl, and eventually the headmistress about the alleged assault, the headmistress allegedly conducted her own “verification” instead of informing the police, as mandated under the POCSO Act. She even reportedly examined the child’s private parts, noticed redness and swelling, questioned the accused student and, after concluding that “nothing had happened”, considered it neither appropriate nor urgent to report the matter to the authorities. The headmistress allegedly told the students to keep the incident a secret.