New Delhi: India is fast earning itself the dubious distinction of being a country unsafe for its children with an alarming 24% increase in crimes against children in 2011 compared to the previous year. Nearly 33,100 cases were reported in 2011 against 26,694 cases during 2010.
Uttar Pradesh accounted for 16.6% of total crimes against children in 2011, followed by Madhya Pradesh (13.2%), Delhi (12.8%), Maharashtra (10.2%), Bihar (6.7%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.7%).
Maharashtra accounted for 74% of the total 27 cases of ‘buying of girls for prostitution’ while West Bengal accounted for 77% of the total 113 cases of ‘selling of girls for prostitution’.
The year 2011 also saw a 43% increase in cases of kidnapping and abduction, while cases of rape increased by 30%. UP and Delhi together accounted for 47.6% kidnapping and abduction of children while Madhya Pradesh, UP and Maharashtra together accounted for 44.5% of child rape cases in 2011.
Foeticide cases increased by 19% over 2010 to 132 cases, of which the highest was registered from Madhya Pradesh, followed by Chhattisgarh and Punjab. These three states together reported 56% of the total foeticide cases registered in 2011.
These are the findings of the latest ‘Children in India 2012’ report brought out by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. The last time such a report on the state of India’s children came out was in 2008.
The report said, “The analysis of crime and children as presented here, puts forward a few upsetting revelations about the child victims as well as child offenders, which points out to the vulnerable conditions of children that need to be addressed urgently especially poverty.”
India’s chief statistician T C A Anant said in the report, “Even today, after six decades of Independence, the condition of children remains a cause of concern in the country. As the statistics speaks out loudly, we have miles to go to ensure a bright future for the children in all spheres of their life.”
According to the report, procurement of minor girls saw a 27% spike – 862 cases in 2011 compared to 679 cases in 2010. West Bengal reported the highest chunk of these cases (298) – a share of 34.6% followed by Bihar (183), Assam (142) and Andhra Pradesh (106). The conviction rate at national level for the crimes committed against children stood at 34.6%. The conviction rate for ‘infanticide (other than murder)’ was highest at 46.9% followed by cases under ‘murder’ (45.5%).
When taking all the crimes against children into account, the crime rate (ratio of number of crimes to population) saw a marginal increased from 2.3 in 2009 to 2.7 in 2011.
Delhi, however, topped the crime rate (25.4) followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands (20.3), Chandigarh (7) and Chhattisgarh (7), Madhya Pradesh (6) and Goa (5.1).
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