BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh recorded highest number of cases relating to rape with children (girls) suggesting the state being the most unsafe for children (girls), as per National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report-2020 released on Wednesday.
As many as 3,259 girls were subjected to rape during the period which means a girl was raped almost every three hours on an average. These crimes were registered under section 376 of IPC and sections 4 and 6 of POCSO. MP was followed by Maharashtra which registered 2785 such cases and UP with 2533 cases. As far as total number of crimes against children is concerned in the state it witnessed a decline in 2020 as compared to the year 2019 but as far as crime rate it concerned it was highest in the country at 59.1. The total number of crimes against children in 2020 stood at 17008 in comparison on 19028 in 2019 and 18992 in 2018. Children were subjected to heinous crimes like murder, murder with rape, abetment of suicide, attempt to murder, infanticide, foeticide, exposure and abandonment etc.
In 2020, as many as 144 children were murdered as per the report. Thus, MP stood third among states as far as murder of children is concerned. UP topped the chart with 271 murders while Maharashtra recorded 149 murder cases. Thirteen children were murdered after rape in the state, the second highest in the country after UP with 30 such cases. MP again topped the chart of crime with 73 cases as far as abetment of suicide of children is concerned (reported under section 305 of IPC followed by 59 in Maharashtra and 50 in West Bengal. After Bihar (136) and Maharashtra (37) MP had the maximum number of children- 26 on whose lives attempts were made.
Atrocities against SC/ST increase in MP
Every year, atrocities against SC and ST people are increasing in the state, says NCRB report. In 2018, the number was 4,753, which increased to 5,300 in 2019 and it reached 7229 in 2020. MP is the 3rd topper in the country where cases of atrocity act are registered. UP tops list with 10,360 cases followed by Bihar with 7663 cases and MP with 7229 cases. In MP, a total 509 SC/ST women were raped including 204 minors. Importantly, 82 were less than 12 years. As many as 10 girls were kidnapped for marriage and 99 women had faced sexual harassment and 45 of them faced voyeurism in 2020.
