Crimes against children not hidden, criminals are punished: NCPCR on 96 pc rise in child rape cases

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Noting that crimes against children are not hidden and criminals are punished, the apex child rights body NCPCR on Monday said a robust mechanism has been developed to tackle such offences.

The NCPCR’s response came following a report of NGO CRY that said child rape cases soared by 96 per cent from 2016 to 2022 as improved public awareness led to a higher number of reported cases of sexual offenses against children.

The Congress on Monday attacked the Centre over the report, alleging that even children are not safe in the “anyay kaal” of the Narendra Modi government.

Reacting to which National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that a robust mechanism has been developed now to tackle such offences.

“Over the years, NCRB has developed a computerized system for FIR, through which data from police stations across the country is being maintained in the report.
The Government of India has set up a network of one stop centers across the country which is ensuring that FIRs are registered in cases,” he said in a post on X.

The NCPCR chairperson also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against whom a case was recently registered under the POCSO.

This data includes the “POCSO case registered against your leader Rahul Gandhi for revealing the identity of the victim and the case of cruelty against children in the orphanage running in his house in Prayagraj”, Kanoongo said.

“By implementing the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, the central government has provided necessary resources to the states for its implementation so that as per the provisions of the Act, Child Welfare Police Officer is appointed in every police station and a Special Child Police Unit is appointed in every district whose work is to look after the children,” Kanoongo said.

“State and National Commissions across the country are also registering cases promptly due to which reporting has increased. Now, crimes are not hidden and the criminals are punished,” he added.

Tagging a media report on the findings, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on ‘X’ in Hindi said, “Even children of the country are not safe in the ‘anyay kaal (period of injustice)’ of the Modi government. In the last six years, cases of child rape have doubled by 96 per cent.”

The children are the future of the country, but in this “period of injustice” the children also need justice, Ramesh said.

“Today, every section of the country is suffering the brunt of the ‘anyay kaal’ of the last 10 years of the Modi government,” he said.