46 % surge in crimes against children in Karnataka in 2022: NCRB

Karnataka recorded a 46 per cent increase in crimes against children over the last two years, official statistics in the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released a few days ago show.

Police registered 7988 cases in 2022 in comparison to 5471 in 2020 and 7261 the next year. Many of these cases were under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCS), the report said.

An analysis of the 2022 NCRB data shows that among 28 Indian states, Karnataka recorded the eighth highest number of crimes against children. Maharashtra was first on that list with 20,762 cases followed by Madhya Pradesh (20,415) and Uttar Pradesh (18,682).

The rate of cases related to crimes against children in Karnataka stood at 41.3 per lakh population while chargsheeting in such cases was at 58.5, according to the 2022 NCRB data.

Of the total number of FIRs related to crimes against children in the state in 2022, the highest were under the POCSO Act at 3155, followed by 3,035 cases under kidnapping and abduction, 215 cases under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and 239 cases related to cyber crimes.

The data of crimes against children in 2022 also included 84 cases of murder, 22 cases of attempt to murder, 13 cases of abetment of suicide of child, two cases of foeticide and one case of infanticide, the data showed.

Karanataka also registered 96 cases related to abandonment, 58 cases of simple hurt, 10 cases of grievous hurt, 77 cases under Juvenile Justice Act and 62 cases under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

Last year, 100 cases related to crimes against children were transferred to another state or agency while it was observed that in 179 FIRs, the cases were "true" but there was either insufficient or untraceable evidence or no clue.

Totally, 7,572 such cases were disposed off by police, the data showed.

Further analysis of the NCRB data also showed that 2,317 cases ended as "false" and 529 cases ended as "mistake" of fact or of law or civil dispute.