MANGALURU: Over the last seven days, seven cases of sexual abuse against minor girls have been reported in Dakshina Kannada district. In one of the cases, the victim was abused by more than one person, while in another, a two-year-old baby was the target.
In 70-80 per cent of such cases, the predators established contact with the minors through mobile phone or social media, said women and children welfare and police officials. According to them, sexual abuse cases against minors saw a sharp rise during the Covid pandemic as parents were forced to purchase or give their mobile phones and gadgets to youngsters for online classes.
Apart from attending classes from home, a majority of the victims also used the gadgets to open accounts in Facebook, Instagram etc which was misused by some youth and miscreants to establish contact with the victims in the guise of friendship.
Deekshit, who is attached with the Child Helpline, said in some cases, the parents came to know about their daughters being sexually abused only after they became pregnant. The incidents being reported with the police are just a tip of iceberg as many parents hesitate to file police complaints fearing social stigma. Even after the FIR is filed, some victims and their parents want to withdraw cases, apparently due to pressure from the community, he added.
‘Speedy convictions needed now’
Renni D’Souza, Chairman, Child Welfare Committee, Dakshina Kannada, said that such cases have risen after the pandemic with most of the victims being in 12-17 years of age. But he feels that as compared to the past, many victims and their families are coming forward to file complaints.
“In the first two months of this year, 66 POCSO cases were reported in the district. But in the last two months, there has been a sudden spike. In majority of the incidents, the accused were known to the victims, like their relatives and neighbours,” he added.
A senior police official said that speedy convictions would put a lid on such incidents, but POCSO special courts have failed to serve the purpose. More the delay in trial, more likely of victims turning hostile because most POSCO offences are committed by family members or people known to the victims.