Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a staggering 35% hike in criminal activities against children, as revealed by NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) report.
The report reveals that J&K Police registered approximately 920 charge sheets related to criminal activities against children in 2022, a notable rise from 606 in 2020 and 845 in 2021.
Among these cases, the J&K Police have documented 318 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Disturbingly, incidents of kidnapping and human trafficking have also been reported, with 534 cases of abduction and 29 cases involving the kidnapping of minor girls for marriage purposes in the last year.
Furthermore, the report underlines that J&K Police registered 4 cases of cybercrimes against children from 2019 to 2021.
The Himalayan Post sought insights from Dr Khairul Nisa, Chairman of the Child Welfare Committee, who expressed concern over the rising trend, stating, "There is no doubt that crimes against children have increased, with Srinagar reporting the highest number of cases among other districts this year."
She pointed out that minors are sometimes employed as domestic helpers, facilitated by local agencies and attributed the root causes of child abuse to moral degradation.
"In most cases, the perpetrator is a family member or the child's blood relative," she added.
Notably, non-locals have also been implicated in child crimes in the Kashmir valley with Nisa clarifying that their involvement is relatively low compared to locals.
“Over 250 cases of child abuse were registered in the Welfare Centre in the last six months,” she added.
She urged parents and the public to report cases of minor abuse to ensure timely assistance for the affected children.