A total of 1,77,335 cases of crime against children were registered during 2023, showing an increase of 9.2% over 2022, as per the National Crime Records Bureau’s latest report. In 2022, a total of 1,62,449 cases of crimes against children were recorded, while the number stood at 1,49,404 in 2021.
Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases with 22,393 total cases, followed by Maharashtra (22,390 cases) and Uttar Pradesh (18,852 cases). Union Territories like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Delhi presented high rates, with Delhi alone registering 7,769 cases.
“In percentage terms, major crime heads under ‘Crime Against Children’ during 2023 were ‘Kidnapping and Abduction of Children’ (79,884 cases, 45.0%) and ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)’ (67,694 cases, 38.2%). The crime rate registered per lakh children population was 39.9 in 2023 in comparison with 36.6 in 2022,” the report said.
The report recorded a total of 40,846 child victims, of which 762 victims were aged below six years, 3,229 aged between six and 12 years, 15,444 aged between 12 and 16 years, and 21,411 aged between 16 and 18 years.
The report also showed that most of the offenders were known to the child victims, who included family members, friends, online friends, and romantic partners on the pretext of marriage, among others.
Other Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes included 1,219 murders, with 89 linked to rape or POCSO violations, 3,050 simple hurt cases, and 373 cases of abetment to suicide. The abduction of minor girls for compelled marriages presented 14,637 cases.
With respect to cases registered against juveniles, a total of 31,365 cases were registered during 2023, an increase of 2.7% over 2022 (30,555 cases). The juvenile crime rate increased from 6.9 in 2022 to 7.1 in 2023.
A total of 40,036 juveniles were apprehended in 31,365 cases, out of which 34,674 juveniles were apprehended under sections of the IPC and 5,362 juveniles under cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) during 2023. The majority of juveniles in conflict with the law apprehended under IPC and SLL crimes were in the 16 to 18-year age group in 2023.