NEW DELHI: The number of cases of attacks on children grew by a staggering 726.5 per cent from 2017 to 2018, a report by independent think-tank IndiaSpend revealed.
While the number of cases was seven in 2017, it grew to 69 in 2018. The highest number of cases in 2018 was recorded in Tamil Nadu (13) followed by 12 in Odisha and seven each in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
In terms of the number of children killed in cases of violence, Maharashtra topped the list with five deaths.
It was followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and Assam with three deaths each and West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh with two each.
The total number of children dead in 2018 were 29. The total number of victims also saw a sharp rise from 2017 to 2018. While the number of victims was 136 in 2018, it was a paltry 19 in 2017.
The top three states in terms of the number of victims were TN, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with 29, 21 and 14 victims respectively.
Activists are up in arms and calling for more stringent laws.
“Like we have a law for child labour, we need stringent laws for child-related violence. Moreover, its implementation must be looked into with care,” a research scholar, who was a part of the team that drafted the report, said.
Echoing similar views was Lakshmi, a volunteer with Bhumi, an NGO which works for the welfare of children.
“Firstly, children are ignored by governments as they do not have voting powers,” she said.
