SHIVAMOGGA: Shivamogga district has recorded the highest number of POCSO cases after Bengaluru in the state between 2016 to June 2018. In majority of the cases, the accused was acquainted to the victim.
According to the police department, Shivamogga district registered 73 cases in 2016, 44 cases in 2017 and 24 cases until June 15, 2018. Among seven taluks, Shivamogga has recorded the highest number of cases (62) while Sorab taluk recorded the lowest, at seven cases, in the past three years.
Expressing serious concern over increasing POCSO cases in the district, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare told TNIE, “Most of the victims were between three and six years of age. Either the neighbour or a family member was involved in most heinous crimes of raping minors. The department has taken special interest to see that the accused are punished under law.”
Quoting the recent rape incident of an eight-year-old girl by a juvenile boy, psychiatrist Harish Delantabettu said, “Having sex even with consent of a girl below 18 years ‘by a boy’ of the same age is null and void. So the case has to be booked under POCSO and it applies to both sexes.”
Teaching about good and bad touch
These days, children in schools are taught about ‘good touch and bad touch’. Children are voluntarily coming out to inform their parents about bad touches, if any, by any individual.
Awareness among parents
“In most cases, the victims are from the ‘vulnerable society’. Poverty, low socio-economic status, understanding the weakness of father about his addictions like drugs or alcohol, broken families and single parenting are common backgrounds of most such cases,” said Dr Harish, member of Juvenile Justice Board of the district.