NEW DELHI: The city saw a rise of 5 per cent in crimes against children while more than 1,500 cases were registered throughout the year in 2022 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
According to the data shared by the National Crime Records Bureau, the year 2022 saw 7,468 cases of crime against children. In 2021, the figure stood at 7,118 while during the COVID times in 2020, it was 5,368.
The figures were of 899 cases, including 2 of minor boys, registered under section 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act. Section 4 of the POCSO Act is punishment for penetrative sexual assault while section 6 is punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
Under section 8 and 10 of the POCSO Act, which deals with sexual assault, 533 cases were recorded, including 13 boys. As many as 63 cases were registered under POCSO Act read with section 377. The figure included 56 minor boys and 7 minor girls.
At times, children also fall into the trap of cyber crime. The police registered 116 cases for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually-explicit acts. In 216 cases, the police were able to achieve conviction of the accused, which included 5 cases from the same year.
Apart from cyber crime, during the same period, as many as 22 children were also found murdered. The data stated that in 2022, the police registered 74 cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of the Indian Penal Code in which victims included 741 minors. children involved in sexually explicit act.
An official of Delhi Police said, “We are continuously working to promote cyber awareness and several campaigns are being carried out from time to time.” The officials further said that in a recent major crackdown on online fraud, the Delhi police busted a syndicate based in Jharkhand’s Jamtara, which was involved in defrauding bank customers from across the country by posing as staff of a prominent bank. Six of the members of the gang have been arrested.