The percentage of juveniles who repeat a crime at least once is the same as that for adult criminals, according to the data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
As per the NCRB, 44,171 juveniles were apprehended in 2016. Of them, 5.2 % were convicted in the past at least once. Last year, the total number of adults arrested was 37,37,870, which included 1,91,849 persons or 5.1% who had been convicted for the crime at least once.
There were 35,608 adults who were convicted twice (1%) and 10,427 persons convicted thrice or more (0.3%).
Percentage wise, among the 29 States and seven Union Territories, Chandigarh with 38.1% reported the maximum number of repeat offenders among adults.
This was followed by 29.2% repeat offenders in Tripura, 20.5% in Jharkhand, 16.9% in Mizoram and 12.2 % in Delhi.
In absolute numbers, the maximum number of repeat offenders among adults was in Madhya Pradesh-35,320, Tamil Nadu-18,841, Assam-11,659, Telangana- 13,605 and Andhra Pradesh- 16,471.
Though the break-up for sexual offences was not available in the Crime in India 2016 report released on Thursday, an official said the data on “recidivism amongst persons arrested under IPC crimes” would come in handy while preparing the proposed sex offenders registry, on the lines of registers maintained in Western countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.
The Home Ministry has told Parliament that details of sexual offenders even below 18 years of age would be included in the database, which would be put up on the NCRB website.
To publicise details
The government plans to publicise their photographs, addresses, PAN card details, Aadhaar card number, fingerprints and DNA samples through this registry.
The proposal to set up a registry was first mooted by the UPA government after the 2012 gang rape in Delhi.
Asked about the fate of the registry, a senior NCRB official said, “the proposal is very much in progress. We are getting the necessary clearances for it.”
