Kin involved in 98% cases of sexual abuse of minors

Family members, relatives, friends and known persons are found to be predators in sexual abuse of minor girls. These people were involved in more than 98 percent incidents of sexual abuse of minors in the 2015 in district.

Superintendent of police Dr Tarun Joshi said, “The accused in sexual abuse against the minor girls take advantage of the close relationship they have with the minor girls or with their family’.    

Crime against minor girls increased to 134 incidents in the 2015 against 103 in 2014. Cases booked under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act-2012 were 79 in 2015 against 50 in 2014 while there is slight difference in other related cases that is 53 in 2014 and 55 in 2015 in the district.

The incidents of sexual abuses against the minor girls are on the rise in the district.

With the data, it is clear that minor girls are not safe and secure even at their own   their family members, relatives, friends and known persons.      

District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member Meerza Yakoob Baig said elderly persons above 50 years age involved in 80 percent sexual abuse incidents against the minor girls in the district.

He observed that both the parties are compromising in considerable number of incidents of sexual abuse against minor girls involving elderly persons citing humanitarian grounds.

The accused persons are offering compensation to the victim to settle the issue in the rural areas and this has become common in interior areas and tribal areas resulting in less number of cases reported to the police or CWC members.

Minor girls and their parents should inform such incidents to police helpline number 100 or child helpline 1098. Station House officer of every police station is now acting as Child Welfare Officer (CWO).