Child marriage cases on a decline in Kerala

ALAPPUZHA: Child marriages are declining in the state and the registration of cases under Prohibition of Child marriage Act  has fallen  in the last three years. The cases have come down by 50 percent last year compared to 2014. While the number of child marriage cases in 2014 was 16,  it declined to eight  last year (till October). In 2015, the cases were 13. According to  statistics,  child marriages cases had recorded a steady growth from 2011 till 2014. (2011- 3, 2012- 6, 2013-11, 2014-16).

The child marriages were rampant in Alappuzha  district earlier and the district administration had introduced panchayat-level monitoring system and ward level awareness campaigns in this regard. “The girls involved in the cases are in the  age group of 15-18,”   a former Childline official said. Ms J. Sandhya, member, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, put the blame on the toothless system. “It needs the cooperation of more government departments and NGOs to do away with the menace with effective campaigns,”  she said.