If a neurodivergent person is arrested, or is the victim of a crime

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act requires "reasonable accommodation" in every interaction with the state, which extends to arrest and questioning — and the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 separately guarantees free legal aid to anyone with a mental or intellectual disability, regardless of ability to pay. Newer criminal procedure law also mandates videography and the use of interpreters or special educators when a disabled person is involved as a victim or witness.

Where a neurodivergent person is the victim rather than the accused, the protections are more specific still. Under the POCSO Act, sexually assaulting a child by taking advantage of their disability is classified as an aggravated offence, carrying harsher minimum sentencing and a fast-tracked Special Court process, with a special educator or interpreter mandated for taking their statement.

The honest gap is enforcement, not law. These protections exist clearly on paper, but police and judicial awareness of neurodivergence specifically is inconsistent across India, and Goa is no exception. If it becomes relevant, naming the specific legal provisions — the RPWD Act's reasonable accommodation requirement, or POCSO's aggravated-offence classification — to the officers or court involved is worth doing explicitly, rather than assuming they'll be applied by default.