VIJAYAWADA: As many as 2,023 cases were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in a span of three years from 2015 to 2017 across Andhra Pradesh, according to the Department for Women's Development and Child Welfare.
However, disputing the department's claim, the NGOs working on POCSO cases say that in 2016 alone 2,093 cases were registered under the Act. "Less than 30 per cent of those accused in these cases were punished by the law. Amending the POCSO Act and increasing the severity of punishment will not act as deterrence to sexual assaults on children. In fact, this would have a negative impact in terms of most of the cases going unreported," says N Rammohan of Help, a voluntary organisation.
According to a study by the Centre for Child and the Law of National Law School of India University in 2017, the rate of hostility, as observed from judgment analysis, was a shocking 77.5% in Andhra Pradesh. The rate of conviction in cases where the accused was a relative is higher than in other cases under the POCSO Act.
Ramamohan went on to say, "Majority of the accused do not get conviction, even though, in several cases, the minority of the victim is not in doubt. Incidents of sexual assault were first sought to be resolved with the intervention of village or caste elders and only when this attempt failed FIRs were lodged, "says N Rammohan from Help Organisation.
However, according to the State government, 1,943 children involved in 2,043 cases were restored to their parents while 100 were sent to institutions. The State government is yet to disclose the exact conviction rate.
Chairperson and members of the AP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) visit the victims personally and collect information from them. Recently, they visited Tenali in Guntur district and interacted with the children who were molested by a fruit vendor on April 15. The victims welcomed the amendment to the POCSO Act according to which the person who sexually assaults children below the age of 12 years will be hanged to death.
Speaking to Express, G Hymavathi, Chairperson of APSCPCR, says, "It is sad to see that sexual assaults on small children are increasing by the day. With this amendment, the number of such incidents may come down. We should also focus on bringing about awareness on the Act as only some cases are being reported."
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Conflicting claims
Intro: The number of cases booked under POCSO Act is a bone contention between between State govt and NGO
While the State government claimst
2,093
No. of cases were registered under POCSO in 2016 according to NGOs
2,043
No. of cases registered in three years from 2015 to 2017
1,943
No. of children restored to their families from 2015 to 2017
100
No. of children sent to rehabilitation centres from 2015 to 2017
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It is sad to see that sexual assaults on small children are increasing by the day. With this amendment, the number of such incidents may come down. We should also focus on bringing about awareness on the Act as only some cases are being reported G Hymavathi, APSCPCR Chairperson