India
There has been an unnerving increase in the number of incidents of sexual assault against children in Kerala, cases registered under the POCSO Act in the last eight months show
Thiruvananthapuram: This year, the number of POCSO cases in Kerala has touched 2,027 (till August). The increasing number of cases registered in Thiruvananthapuram under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has caused widespread concern.
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The Crime Records Bureau released the data recently. Most of the cases were reported in Thiruvananthapuram district (274 cases). Malappuram district registered the second highest number of cases (234).
Last year, 2,697 POCSO cases were registered in the state. A total of 1,016 cases were registered in 2013. The number of registered cases has doubled over five years. At the same time, the number of POCSO cases in the courts is also increasing.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, came into force on November 14, 2012. The law aims at providing a child-friendly system for trial and offering protection to all children under the age of 18 years from sexual attacks.
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