Mumbai: There is a 76 per cent increase in registration of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) cases, including those related to rape and molestation, till October 2017 as compared to corresponding figures in 2016. According to the police, the rise in number of cases registered is due to awareness as children are now confiding in their parents about such incidents.
The police suspects that children are increasingly being targeted as easy prey by sexual offenders. As part of Mumbai police's "Police Didi" initiative, launched to curb crimes against children, 93 police officers, most of them women, were trained to act as one-stop persons to educate children against sexual predators.
According to data accessed by The Asian Age, formulation of the Act in the city has seen a year-on-year increase in the number of POCSO cases registered. The spurt is especially due to children confiding in their parents after receiving ground-level training from police trainers under the "Police Didi" initiative.
In 2013, 422 cases were registered; while 2014 saw 678 cases; 2015 - 803 cases; and 2016 - 908 cases i.e. a total of 2,813 cases in the past five years. Till October this year, 218 cases of minors being raped were registered under section 376 of the IPC and sections 4, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act.
Deepak Devraj, Mumbai police spokesperson and deputy commissioner of police (operations) told this newspaper, "The initiative 'Bachche Police Bulayenge' is meant to shed light and impart knowledge to kids as to what is to be done if they become victims of sexual assault. During this awareness campaign, children will be taught to tackle these situations at ground level. Like the 'Police Didi' initiative, trainers will also teach children about touch sensations."
Recently, an Andheri-based IB school's 57-year-old founder-director was arrested by Meghwadi police for allegedly raping a three-year-old minor in November last year. The arrest has been made under relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
Spreading awareness
On account of Children's Day on November 14, Mumbai police will kick-start a campaign on child safety awareness called "Bachche Police Bulayenge". The move comes on the back of an increase in crimes against children in school and sometimes, at home. Officials said that like the "Police Didi" initiative, children will be taught how to differentiate between good and bad touch. The campaign is titled such to indicate empowerment of children so that they cease to be easy prey for sexual predators.
