SATISH HANDA
Children are unsafe in their own house as revealed in cases registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act in police stations in Haryana state. According to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) information, the number of child sex abuse cases in the state has witnessed more than 100% increase in past 10 years in which alarming rise of child rape cases was seen at Gurugram and Faridabad districts in Haryana in past few years also worst affected as regard crime against women registered 4577 and 4315 cases in these districts respectively. Information reveals, 663 cases of child sex abuse were reported at Gurugram in past five years of them 470 victims were murdered after sex molestation. Similarly, out of total number of 543 cases of child sex abuse reported at Faridabad 337 victims were murdered after sex molestation.
Scenario in Haryana state reveals that 772 child sex abuse cases were registered under POCSO Act constituted in 2012, in which accused of raping an minor is liable for minimum 12 years to life imprisonment, during the year 2019 and the number of cases increased to 845 in 2020 and information revealed that among accused involved in child sex abuse were 95% known to victim, relative and those residing in neighbour. Information also revealed, among victim included 92% female and 8% male children. Information further revealed that out of 845 cases registered under POCSO Act in 2020 in Haryana state 807 children were sexually assaulted by their known persons and relatives.
Among 11 worst affected districts in Haryana where large number of children were reported sexually abused include Gurugram, Faridabad, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Sirsa, Nuh, Rewari, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jind. Jyoti Benda Chairperson Haryana Child Rights Control Commission told that a campaign to bring awareness among children against sex exploitation is being started in the schools initially at 11 districts in Haryana state had alarming rise in child sex abuse cases in past few years.
Information reveals, out of total number of child sex abuse cases registered in 2019 in Haryana state in 49 cases victims were sexually abused by family members, in 40 cases victims were sexually abused by relatives, in 285 cases victims were sexually abused by neighbours, in 381 cases by others known to victims’ family and in 65 cases sexually abused by unknown persons. Similarly, in the year 2020 in 25 cases victims were sexually molested by family members, in 53 cases sexually molested by relatives, in 356 cases sexually molested by their neighbours, in 373 cases sexually molested by known persons and in 76 cases by unknown persons.
Detailed scenario as regard registration of cases under POCSY Act in Haryana state reveals that 35 cases were registered in the year 2019 and the number of cases increased to 37 in 2020 in Ambala district, 23 cases were registered in 2018 and the number of cases increased to 42 in 2020 in Kurukhetra district, 50 cases were registered in 2019 and number of cases increased to 54 cases in 2020 in Karnal district, 56 cases were registered in 2019 and the number of cases reduced to 54 cases in 2020 in Panipat district, 26 cases were registered in 2019 and the number of cases increased to 33 cases in 2020 in Hisar district, 33 cases registered in 2019 and number of cases increased to 39 in 2020 in Sirsa district, 33 cases registered in 2019 and number of cases reduced to 26 cases in 2020 in Jind district, 8 cases registered in 2019 and number of cases increased to 12 cases in 2020 in Hansi district, 14 cases registered in 2019 and number of cases increased to 25 cases in 2020 in Fatehabad district and 33 cases registered in 2019 and the number of cases increased to 40 in 2020 in Bhiwani district.
NCRB data also reveals that 32608 crime against women cases were registered in the country in 2017 and the number of these cases increased to 39827 in 2018, which included 109 cases of child sex abuse every day with 22% jump in the cases in 2019 and the number of cases further increased too much in 2020 the detail yet to be received. According to information, 10 states in the country has been identified sensitive as regard fast increasing cases of child sex abuse which include Maharashtra, U.P, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, M.P, Assam, Odisha, Kerala, Haryana and Delhi (recorded three times increase in these cases in past couple of years).
NCRB data reveals that 21605 child sex abuse cases were registered in the country in 2018, which included 21401 female and 204 male victims. The situation in few other states was recorded as 2832 cases registered in Maharashtra, 2123 cases registered in U.P and 1457 cases registered in Tamilnadu. Information also reveals that 129032 crime against women cases were registered in the year 2017 with alarming increase in crimes to 141764 cases registered in 2018 as per available data.
