KOZHIKODE: As expected, fewer Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) cases were reported in the state in Covid-stricken 2020 than previous years. As per the state police data, 2,726 such cases were reported in 2020, while the number was 3,609 in 2019 and 3,180 in 2018 and 2,697 in 2017.
As the majority of sexual abuse of children takes place within the house or on the premises of persons known to the families, the victims usually spill the beans to classmates or friends. Since the schools had remained closed for 10 months last year, a large number of such cases were not reported, it is learnt. “Of the alerts about Pocso cases Childline receives, 60 per cent come from schools, anganwadis, Kudumbashree members and panchayat members.
The remaining tipoffs come from the victims’ friends. These whistleblowers were out of connect last year owing to Covid and several such cases went unreported. We expect to get information about a large number of cases once schools fully reopen,” said a Childline sourc e, who pre f e r re d anonymity. As per data, Childline got 25- 30 per cent fewer alerts during April-December 2020 as compared to previous years.
“A large chunk of abuse cases are revealed through school counsellors, teachers and friends. When schools reopen after the twomonth summer vacation each year, we get loads of complaints which indicate how important these whistleblowers are,” said Childline Malappuram district coordinator Anvar Karakkadan. Districtwise, Malappuram topped in the number of cases reported (341), followed by Thiruvananthapuram (321). Malappuram also topped the number of such cases in 2019 and 2018 and Thiruvananthapuram in 2017 and 2016.
‘Waiting for school reopening’
Women and Child Development (WCD) Department Director T V Anupama said the figures available cannot give an accurate picture. “Let schools reopen fully and children reach schools. Then only, we can get the clear picture,” she said. Dhanya Abid, a psychosocial counsellor, too agrees that they are expecting a good number of abuse cases to emerge once schools return to normal functioning.
Pocso cases registered in state
(Police data)
2020: 2,726
2019: 3,609
2018: 3,180
2017: 2,697
2016: 2,122
2015: 1,583