109 Children Sexually Abused Every Day in 2018 In India: NCRB Report

According to the data released by the National Crime Record Bureau, as many as 109 children were sexually abused every day in the year 2018. The year also saw an increase in the number of cases registered under POCSO (Protection of Children From Sexual Offences) Act. The report titled Crime in India 2018 says that 32,608 cases were reported in 2017 under the POCSO Act, while 39,827 cases were reported in 2018.

Key Takeaways:

• According to the data released by the National Crime Record Bureau, as many as 109 children were sexually abused every day in the year 2018.
• 2018 also saw an increase in the number of cases registered under POCSO (Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act).
• According to the data, 32,608 cases were reported in 2017 while 39,827 cases were reported in 2018 under the POCSO Act.
• As many as 21,605 child rapes were recorded in 2018 which included 21,401 rapes of girls and 204 of boys, the data showed.

The highest number of child rapes were recorded in Maharashtra at 2,832, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 2023 and Tamil Nadu at 1457.

Crime Against Children sees a steep rise

The report showed that the crime against children has risen steeply in the time period of 2008 to 18. According to the NCRB Data, 39,827 cases were reported in 2018 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), among which were 21,605 child rapes, that included 21,401 rapes of girls and 204 of boys. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of child rape cases at 2832, followed by Uttar Pradesh which recorded 2023 child rape cases in 2018. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu recorded 1457 child rape cases in 2018.

When it comes to cases of crime against children in 2008, the number of such cases recorded stands at22,500. This number increased to 1,41,764 in 2018, whereas 1,29,032 cases were recorded in the year 2017.

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Kidnapping And Abduction Are The Major Crimes Against Children

Kidnapping and Abduction accounted for 44.2 percent of cases of crimes against children. Cases registered under POCSO accounted for around 34.7 percent cases. Also, a total of 67,134 children (19,784 male, 47,191 female and 159 transgender) were reported missing in 2018. Moreover, as many as 781 cases of use of a child for pornography or storing child pornography material was also recorded in 2018.

State-wise,  Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar accounted for 51 per cent of all crimes in the country. Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with the highest number of crimes against children. It recorded 19,936  cases (14 per cent of total crimes), Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are the close second and third with 18,992 and 18,892 crimes registered respectively.

The report also highlighted that incidents of sexual harassment in shelter homes have increased by 30 percent in 2018 as compared to 2017. Another key finding of the Crime in India 2018 report is that nearly around 94 percent of rape cases registered in the said year were committed by perpetrators known to the survivor.

The report further slight on rise in cases of sexual abuse at shelter homes in the country as well. According to it, 707 incidents of sexual harassment were reported in 2018 at shelter homes in India, as compared to 544 incidences reported in 2017, thus observing a sharp rise of  30 percent.

Picture Credit- India Times

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