BENGALURU : A recent report submitted by the Inspector General of Police (Crime) to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KCPCR) has revealed that the number of missing children in the state is increasing by 10 per cent every year.A look at the official data for the last two years on missing children in the state shows it’s been increasing every year. The number of missing children during 2016 was 2,542, but it increased to 2,765 during 2017. The data also shows that the number of missing boys were more than the girls. During 2017, of the 2,765 children missing, 1,655 were boys.
According to the authorities at the KCPCR, a majority of these children have reportedly eloped from their homes.Gopinath R, Managing Trustee of SPARSHA trust, an NGO dealing with such cases in the state, said that the problem of children eloping from their homes is more in the age group of 13 to 16 years. “At this age, most children are afraid of facing board exams. They just decide to escape and leave home.”
The case studies show that a majority of missing children cases were registered from rural Karnataka. “Three out of five cases are from rural areas and from lower middle class families. To overcome poverty and other issues like feeling neglected by parents, these kids choose to elope,” Gopinath said.However, according to police officials, most of the times, these children were traced, but parents in rural areas do not bother to withdraw the cases. “And such cases still count in missing data,” police said.
HC raises objection
Soon, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights will issue a standard operating procedure for handling missing children cases. Following a recent direction by the state High Court to the KCPCR to monitor these cases, the commission is drafting the standard operating procedure. The issue had recently come up in the state High Court and the court had raised an objection over the difference in state and national data. It directed the KCPCR to monitor such cases.
Why do the children go missing?
Elopement
Being kidnapped
Eloping due to lack of love and care at home
Non-supportive environment
Financial issues
Pressure to perform at school