Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 3,549 cases have been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012, (Pocso Act) in the state from January 1 till December 31 last year. This number marks a significant increase when compared to the previous year, when only 3,019 cases were registered.
Of the 2021 figures, the highest number of cases were registered in Malappuram (457), followed by Thiruvananthapuram rural (318) and Palakkad (251). The least number of cases were registered in Kannur city (93), Kannur rural (97) and Ernakulam city (110), as per the statistics of the state police. Over the years, there has been a significant rise in the number of cases being registered under the Pocso Act in the state, since 2016. While in 2016, the number was 2,122, it increased to 2,697 in 2017, 3,180 in 2018 and 3,609 in 2019. In 2020, apparently due to the Covid-19 related lockdown, the number had dropped to 3,019. But in 2021, the number once again registered a significant increase.
It is in this backdrop that the cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up 28 new fast track special courts to deal with cases under the Act, taking the total number of such courts in the state to 56.
As per the data submitted in the assembly, till October last year, there are as many as 10,187 cases registered under the Act pending in the state for trial. Of the total number of pending cases, the highest number is in Thiruvananthapuram district (1,714 cases), followed by Malappuram (1,310) and Thrissur (1,196). The pending cases in other districts are as follows: Kollam (710), Pathanamthitta (351), Alappuzha (532), Kottayam (479), Idukki (573), Ernakulam (711), Palakkad (635), Kozhikode (608), Wayanad (284), Kannur (841) and Kasaragod (483).
Some of these were attributed to reasons like delay in receiving the forensic reports from laboratories. A committee appointed by the high court to monitor the progress of trial under the Pocso Act had in 2019 found that there are more than 1,300 cases at the time of submitting the report that are stuck in various districts because of the delay in receiving the forensic analysis reports. Of these, 757 cases were pending for more than a year.
At present, the forensic laboratory in the state consists of the one at the police headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram and the regional forensic science labs at Thrissur, Kannur, Ernakulam and Kollam. Also, there are 19 district mobile forensic labs (DMFL) in all police districts. The government is now in the process of setting up forensic laboratories in all the 14 revenue districts in the state.
The police leadership had last year sent a circular addressing all the district police chiefs that the field units are not showing expertise in investigation of Pocso cases, trial and conviction despite issuing multiple communiques regarding the investigation of such cases.
Of the 2021 figures, the highest number of cases were registered in Malappuram (457), followed by Thiruvananthapuram rural (318) and Palakkad (251). The least number of cases were registered in Kannur city (93), Kannur rural (97) and Ernakulam city (110), as per the statistics of the state police. Over the years, there has been a significant rise in the number of cases being registered under the Pocso Act in the state, since 2016. While in 2016, the number was 2,122, it increased to 2,697 in 2017, 3,180 in 2018 and 3,609 in 2019. In 2020, apparently due to the Covid-19 related lockdown, the number had dropped to 3,019. But in 2021, the number once again registered a significant increase.
It is in this backdrop that the cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up 28 new fast track special courts to deal with cases under the Act, taking the total number of such courts in the state to 56.
As per the data submitted in the assembly, till October last year, there are as many as 10,187 cases registered under the Act pending in the state for trial. Of the total number of pending cases, the highest number is in Thiruvananthapuram district (1,714 cases), followed by Malappuram (1,310) and Thrissur (1,196). The pending cases in other districts are as follows: Kollam (710), Pathanamthitta (351), Alappuzha (532), Kottayam (479), Idukki (573), Ernakulam (711), Palakkad (635), Kozhikode (608), Wayanad (284), Kannur (841) and Kasaragod (483).
Some of these were attributed to reasons like delay in receiving the forensic reports from laboratories. A committee appointed by the high court to monitor the progress of trial under the Pocso Act had in 2019 found that there are more than 1,300 cases at the time of submitting the report that are stuck in various districts because of the delay in receiving the forensic analysis reports. Of these, 757 cases were pending for more than a year.
At present, the forensic laboratory in the state consists of the one at the police headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram and the regional forensic science labs at Thrissur, Kannur, Ernakulam and Kollam. Also, there are 19 district mobile forensic labs (DMFL) in all police districts. The government is now in the process of setting up forensic laboratories in all the 14 revenue districts in the state.
The police leadership had last year sent a circular addressing all the district police chiefs that the field units are not showing expertise in investigation of Pocso cases, trial and conviction despite issuing multiple communiques regarding the investigation of such cases.
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