Daijworld Media Network - Mumbai (SHP)
Mumbai, Jul 15: A 10 per cent rise in the number of POCSO cases relating to rape and molestation has been observed in the report by Mumbai Police. During January 2015 and May 2019, a total of 4,551 POCSO cases were registered, out of which 529 were registered this year till May.
The rise in the number of cases registered is being attributed to the freedom the children are finding in confiding about the incident to their parents. Parents are also educating their kids about 'good touch' and 'bad touch'.
The POCSO Act was initiated in 2012, to protect the kids who cannot defend for themselves and end up suffering the abuse. The Act covered all the bases, from sexual assault, sexual harassment to child pornography. Over 597 courts were set up across the country who would work on the cases registered under POCSO Act and the courts would be required to close each of these cases within one year from the time of filing of the FIR. In order to strengthen the Act, Union cabinet approved death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children.
However, data by the law ministry showed Maharashtra topped the list with over 17,338 cases pending under POCSO, Uttar Pradesh came in second with 15,938 cases and Madhya Pradesh came in third with 10,950 cases.
IPS officer-turned-lawyer, YP Singh, stated that there have been cases were the POCSO Act was used for personal grudges and therefore, it was imperative that the cases falling under POCSO were to be handled with due diligence.