Over the years, there has been a marked increase in cases of crimes against children in the state, with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data revealing a 190.6 per cent increase in crimes against children from 2010 to 2014, according to an analysis of the data released recently.
One statistic that stands out is the child murders, which have increased from 73 in 2010 to 103 in 2014, an increase of 41.1 per cent, which gives the state the dubious distinction of having the fourth highest number of child murders, behind Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
According to activists, the increase in numbers could be due to various reasons. According to Girija Kumarababu, joint secretary, Indian Council for Child Welfare and Child Rights, the rise in child murders could be because of the increasing incidence of caste-based violence. “Newspapers report a number of cases where children under the age of 18 fall in love with people from other castes, often leading to the murder of one, or both of them,” she said, adding that child murders need to be studied in detail.
R. Vidyasagar, Child Rights Activist and former Child Protection Specialist from UNICEF, feels that the increase in violence against children could be because of the increased exposure that children have to mobile phones and the internet. “There have been cases reported where children have killed other children after watching something on the net and trying to imitate the actions,” he said.
The NCRB data also reveals that around half of all the crimes against children registered in the state for 2014 are under POCSO, a section that was introduced only in this year’s NCRB. Of the 2,354 crimes registered against children, 1,055 of them are under the various sections of POCSO.
According to Mr. Vidyasagar, a majority of these cases involve sexual crimes against children which are reported through the 1098 helpline, and subsequently taken up by the Child Welfare Committee. “Since the CWC is involved, many of these cases are booked only under POCSO,” he said.
This year, 655 of the 1,055 crimes under POCSO (62 per cent) were for penetrative assault, as opposed to 419 rape cases registered in 2013. A 55 per cent increase.
Social worker and researcher, Emi, on the other hand says that the increased awareness amongst children could be the cause for the large number of crimes under POCSO. “A majority of the crimes against children continue to remain unreported, especially if the assailant is also a child,” he said, adding that although there is awareness amongst the police, more can be done to educate them.
The NCRB 2014 data has seven new sections, including POCSO, Juvenile Justice Act, and Attempt to murder. While the additional sections could mean that more crimes are registered, Komal Ganotra, Director — Policy, Research, Advocacy and Documentation, CRY, says that many of the new sections were earlier covered in other sections of the Indian Penal Code, and would not have made much of a difference. “Crimes that are registered under POCSO, for example, were earlier registered under section 376 (rape) and 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman),” she said.
The increase in number of cases could also be because of the increase in awareness, and the willingness of the police to register cases, she adds.
“We need to see that crimes against children can be prevented. An increasing trend in these crimes means that more should be done to protect our children. Such crimes against children are not just a reflection of the person committing the crime, but also of those who are protecting the children,” Ms. Ganotra said.
Percentage growth in crimes against children( 2010-2014): 190.6%
Cases registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO)
1055 | victims (1084) |
Rate | 5.2 |
Cases registered under POSCO were the biggest components of crimes against children |
Tamil Nadu had the third highest number of cases under POCSO after: |
Uttar Pradesh | 3637 |
West Bengal | 1058 |
Cases under Section 4 of POCSO (Penetrative Sexual Assault):
487 | victims (511) |
rate | 2.4 |
Cases under Section 6 (Aggravated Penetrative Assault) : Committed by a person of trust or authority such as police officer
168 | victims (168) |
Rate | 0.8 |
