Sharp rise in rape and sexual assault cases in TS despite POSCO Act
HYDERABAD: The number of rape and sexual assault cases against minors, registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Telangana, increased significantly in 2020 when compared to previous years.
Even with the tighter lockdown regulations in place, 2,074 cases of rape and sexual assault against minors were registered that year, compared to 1,665 and 1,998 in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Nationwide, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 47,221 POCSO cases were reported in 28 states and eight Union Territories in 2020, while 1,70,271 such cases were pending trial.
A number of instances of child rape and sexual abuse were reported in the city in 2022. A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped on July 30 in Ibrahimpatnam by a man from the same neighbourhood, and a 16-year-old woman was allegedly raped on June 8 in the Market neighbourhood by her uncle Bandari Ilaiah.
On June 4, a 16-year-old girl was raped in a car on Necklace Road by a photocopier store employee. When a 17-year-old girl was returning home after a party at a pub in Jubilee Hills on May 28, five accused — including minors from political families — allegedly gang-raped her.
A 15-year-old girl was allegedly repeatedly gang-raped on May 30 by five people, including two minors. A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped on May 31 in Kalapather when she was on her way home. On May 31, a 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by two men who offered a ride home.
Children who are the victims of such assaults are profoundly affected by such experiences, especially when they are held responsible, according to mental health specialist Dr. Purnima Nagaraja. "The first questions a parent would ask their child — questions they are unable to respond to — are ‘why did you go there’ and ‘what was the need to go along with that individual. The incident leaves them emotionally scarred and socially isolated, which causes anger management problems and other stress-related conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For instance, a patient who had experienced sexual assault developed eating disorder,” she said.
Scary figures
The number of cases of sexual assault on minors rose every year. So did the number of cases pending trial
Cases registered -
2018 - 1,665
2019- 1,998
2020 - 2,074
Cases chargesheeted -
2018 - 1,376
2019 - 1,724
2020 - 2,053
Cases sent for trial -
2018 - 1,376
2019 - 1,724
2020 - 2,053
Cases pending trial at the end of the year -
2018 - 3,284
2019 - 3,806
2020 - 5,267
Persons arrested -
2018 - 2,093
2019 - 2,549
2020 - 2,789
Persons chargesheeted -
2018 - 1,792
2019 - 2,139
2020 - 2,471
Persons convicted -
2018 - 72
2019 - 108
2020 - 120