Kochi: Cases of child sexual abuse in Kerala have been rising, with children now at risk even within schools and their homes. A recent report by the Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights revealed that 21 per cent of such incidents occurred in children's homes, while four per cent were reported in schools. These troubling findings have prompted the state's child rights panel to urge greater awareness of child abuse among parents, teachers, and police officers.

The report analysed 4,663 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, revealing that 988 (21 per cent) incidents took place in children's homes, 725 (15 per cent) at the accused's home, and 935 (20 per cent) in public spaces.

The report further identified that 173 cases occurred in schools, 139 in vehicles, 146 in other locations, and 166 in isolated areas. In addition, 60 cases were reported in hotels, 72 in friends' homes, 73 in religious institutions, 16 in hospitals, and eight per cent in childcare institutions. However, for 791 (17 per cent) cases, information about the crime was not available.

In total, 4,663 POCSO cases were reported across Kerala in 2023. According to police data, Thiruvananthapuram district recorded the highest number of cases, while Pathanamthitta had the lowest.

Among the 4,663 cases, 4,701 children were identified as survivors, indicating multiple victims in many cases. This underscores the need to educate children about the POCSO Act, child-friendly procedures, and self-defence training, the report emphasised.

The data shows a worrying increase in cases: 3,322 cases were reported in 2021, 4,583 in 2022, 3,616 in 2019, and 3,030 in 2020.

The Commission also analysed 4,582 cases involving 5,002 accused individuals, categorising their relationship with the victims. The findings revealed that 873 perpetrators were known to the children, 631 were neighbours, 439 were family members, 435 were relatives, 477 were friends, 692 were romantic partners, 210 were teachers, 305 were strangers, 896 were undocumented or unidentified, and 36 were drivers of vans, buses, or autos.

This data highlights that the safety and protection of children can only be achieved if parents, relatives, society, police, and the government fulfil their roles without fail.

Of the 4,701 victims, 3,972 (85 per cent) were girls, while 659 (14 per cent) were boys. Gender information was unavailable for 70 children (one per cent), as it was not included in the police report. The data further shows that girls are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual assault.

In terms of age, 73 (two per cent) victims were aged four to six, 423 (nine per cent) were aged five to nine, 1,574 (39 per cent) were aged 10 to 14, and 1,929 (48 per cent) were aged 15 to 18. Additionally, two children (0.03 per cent) had unclear or undocumented ages.

This highlights the need for parents and guardians to focus on enhancing children's ability to handle uncomfortable situations and to provide age-appropriate safety awareness.

KV Manoj Kumar, Chairperson of the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, stated that the commission is now focused on raising awareness about child abuse, in line with the recommendations outlined in the report.

"As children are being abused in their homes and public spaces, society has a responsibility to prevent such acts. To address this, we have provided training for Kudumbashree workers on the Juvenile Justice Act, POCSO Act, child rights, and good parenting across seven districts, and will continue in the remaining districts," Kumar told PTI.

The commission has also conducted awareness programmes for child protection committee members in block panchayats, teachers, parents, and police officials.

Nazeer Chaliyam, a former member of the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, urged the government to take action on the issues raised in the report.

"Under Section 16 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the report should be presented to the state Assembly, along with the recommendations and the actions taken by the commission, so the government can initiate the necessary measures to address these concerns," he said.