Kerala does not only top the literacy rates, but also POCSO cases!

Kerala claims to have the highest literacy rate. What it does not let people know is that it is also the hotbed of forced conversion. It is the state which failed to fight the pandemic. It is the state which is the gateway of smuggling. Guess what, here’s another feather to its cap. The state, now, has also topped the POCSO cases.

Kerala- a hub of POCSO cases

The cases of crimes against minors are increasing rapidly in the country. And most of the cases are from Kerala.

It was a few days back when a case of sexual abuse was reported from Kerala. Mohammad Swalih, a Muslim cleric sexually abused minor girl students at a madrassa. He was arrested and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO Act.

The incident took place at the Vaipur Oottukulam masjid in the Pathanamthitta district.  Swalih reportedly is also the Imam of Vaipur Oottukulam Masjid and teaches at the local madrassa.

The arrest took place after some of the students complained to their parents about the abuse. Perumpatty police reported that Swalih’s arrest took place based on the statements given by minors. He has been charged under sections of the POCSO Act.

Additionally, one more case was reported last week. Fort Kochi Police registered a case against hotelier Roy Vayalat, Shaiju Thankachan, and another person under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The case was registered over a complaint filed by a Kozhikode native last week. According to the complaint, “Roy molested a woman and her minor daughter at the hotel in October 2021, mere days before the accident that killed three, including the models.”

A police official reported, “Shaiju and Anjali were with Roy when the incident occurred. The family was threatened by the accused claiming to have videos of the victims which would be leaked on social media.”

Reportedly, a shocking 3,549 POCSO cases have been registered in Kerala between the 1st of January 2021 to the 31st of December. Malappuram district headed the list with 457 cases.

The data vindicates that the atrocities against children are increasing dramatically. While the year 2016 saw 2,122 cases, it increased to 2,697 in 2017 and 3,180 in 2018. 3,609 cases were reported in 2019 and 3,019 when the country was under lockdown. And a record-breaking number in 2021, that is, 3500. If we go by the figures, it means that at least 10 children were raped/abused each day.

How is Kerala dealing with the menace?

For those unversed, as per the Pocso Act, when a crime is committed against a child, she/he is taken immediately for a medical examination. After it is confirmed by a registered medical practitioner, the statements of the parents are recorded. Followed by the instruction of the Child Welfare Committee, the child is handed over to the child protection officer of the respective district.  Afterwards, the child is provided counselling which decided the further action to be taken by the police department against the abuser.

“A large number of Pocso cases are being reported in the state. However, it is observed that only some people come forward to report such cases, while others go for settlements citing concerns about the future of the children. As the trial in Pocso cases takes a long time, the victim’s family is apprehensive and go for a settlement often. The state cabinet’s recent decision to set up additional fast-tracks courts to deal with Pocso and rape cases will help in the speedy disposal of such cases,” said a senior police official.

As of now, 10,187 POCSO cases are pending in the state for trial. Thus, the Kerala government has stepped in with the decision to open more POCSO special courts. The so-called ‘highly literate’ state has 26 POCSO courts and with the additional 28 new ‘fast track’ ones, there will soon be 54. This indicates that on a per capita basis, Kerala is supposedly witnessing a dramatic increase in POCSO cases than any other state in the country.