Kerala: 1,718 cases registered under POCSO till October

ALAPPUZHA: The sexual offence cases  against children are increasing in the state.  The number of cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act rose from 1,427 last year to 1,718   till October this year, according to the data on the website of  Kerala police. The number of cases in 2014  was  1,380 and 1,002 in 2013.   Malappuram district continues to remain on the top of the list for the last three years.

Ms J. Sandhya, member, Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR), says that  many cases  go unreported.  “Only a few parents or victims  approach  Childline or Child Welfare Committee seeking any action,” she says. The KeSCPCR had recently decided  to look into the reasons behind the dismal rate of convictions in the cases—only seven per cent.     The accused were convicted  only in 53 of the 261 cases that reached logical a conclusion.

The POCSO Act introduced in 2012 had upped the age of consent for girls from 16 to 18. This means boys who have consensual sex with girls below 18 can be charged with  rape charges. Mr K.K. Joseph, member, Child Welfare Committee, here says  four cases under POCSO Act had been dealt with in the last month.  “We have launched  several campaigns and set up panchayat  committees to make people aware of the law,”  he said.