KOZHIKODE: Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram reported the most number of child sexual abuse cases in the state in the April-October period this year. As per the Childline data accessed by TNIE, 3,735 cases of child abuse were reported of which 448 were in Thiruvananthapuram, 408 in Ernakulam and 352 in Malappuram. Among the cases, 878 were child sexual abuse — 127 were in Thiruvananthapuram followed by 116 in Malappuram.
The major breakup of reported cases in the state is — Child physical abuse 1,412, child emotional abuse 1,124 and child sexual abuse 878. Childline sources, however, said all sexual abuse cases do not come under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), but only those forwarded to the police as per section 19 (Mandatory reporting) of the Act.
“Many such cases forwarded to police are dropped without being registered,” said a Childline official. Meanwhile, as per the State Crime Records Bureau data, 2,514 Pocso cases were reported till September this year of which 342 were from Malappuram and 308 from Thiruvananthapuram (T’Puram Rural-209, T’Puram City-99).
Child marriages Childline recorded 127 child marriages between April and October this year. Of which, 26 were in Malappuram. Four cases of child selling were also reported; two in Kannur and one each in Malappuram and Palakkad districts.