As per the crime statistics for the first three months of this year released by the police earlier this week, 482 rape cases had been registered in the State. One hundred and fifty-nine victims of this crime were minors. The figures show that on an average five rape cases each day had been registered by the police between January and March. During the whole of last year 1,474 rape cases were registered by the police in the State and 455 of the rape victims were minors.
The district wise break up of the statistics show that out of the 323 women who were raped during the first quarter of this year, Thiruvananthapuram district topped the list with 41 rape cases, followed by Kollam with 39 rape cases. Thirty-eight rape cases each were registered in Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts during the three-month period. Pathanamthitta had the lowest with six cases.
Seven dowry related deaths had taken place in the State during the first three months of this year and Thiruvananthapuram district again topped the list with three such deaths. During the whole of last year, the police had registered 32 dowry related deaths in the State.
The number of molestation cases registered by the police in the State during the first three months of this year touched 1,259 with Thiruvananthapuram district again on the top with 257 cases. Wayanad district with 24 such cases accounted for the lowest. Seven molestation cases were registered by the railway police. Sixty-one women and 33 children were kidnapped in the State during the first three months of this year. When it came to kidnapping of women, Kollam district topped this list with 11 cases. The number of harassment cases from January to March this year registered in the State is 175.
For this offence Kozhikode district topped with 32 cases followed by Ernakulam district with 31 cases. The railway police registered six cases and no harassment cases were registered in Pathanamthitta district during the period. Cases of cruelty to women by husband or his relatives registered by the police touched 1,129 during the first three months of this year as per the statistics and Malappuram district topped with 160 cases. .
A total of 3,480 crimes against women in the State have been registered by the police during the first three months of this year and the highest is in Thiruvananthapuram district with 473 cases. A total of 480 cases of crimes against children were registered during the first three months of this year.