In 2020, the city reported 2,248 crimes against children cases bagging the second spot in the country after Delhi which reported 5,256 cases.
However, there was a decline in the number of cases registered during the lockdown, but the number of chargesheets registered remained at 51.6 per cent. Of the 1,137 cases of kidnapping and abduction, 517 cases were genuine.
There has been a 38 per cent decline in the number of cases registered in connection to the crimes against children, which declined from 3,640 cases in 2019 to 2,248 in 2020, revealed the data published by the NCRB. While the city recorded six cases of murders of minors in 2020, one included that with rape, stated the data. According to the report, three cases of abetment to suicide were recorded, while six cases of attempt to commit a murder were recorded. One case of infanticide was registered in Mumbai last year, while four cases of foeticides were recorded in the same period. The data revealed that eight children were abandoned by their parents/guardians.
Meanwhile, the NCRB statistics show a rise in POCSO cases with 964 registered in Mumbai, putting it on the number two position after Delhi where 998 cases were reported. While 445 rape cases were registered under POCSO Act in Mumbai last year, 457 girls were raped. Similarly, in 443 incidents of molestation, of the 457 victims, there were four boys, who were inappropriately touched. The data revealed that in 19 incidents of minor victims subjected to word, gesture or act to insult the modesty, 23 girls were harassed.
Dr. Ali Gabhrani, child psychologist said that lockdown has led to a rise in suppression and expression of childrens’ feelings to depression, wherein the anti social beings of the society have targeted the children as soft targets for their pent up aggression. “Children, who went through the sexual abuse during this lockdown faced severe depression as they could neither express their feelings to anyone and suppression led to a catastrophe. Once the child’s emotional and mental stability is murdered, it is a long way for them to recover, while being in the same environment,” added Dr, Gabhrani.
Mumbai stands second with 39 incidents of unnatural offences against children, after Delhi, wherein 37 boys were subjected to unnatural sexual acts and three were girls. Similarly, the financial capital stood second in terms of child labour, with 12 cases registered in Mumbai last year, after Hyderabad. The minors in Mumbai were also subjected to cyber crime, with 12 cases registered in 2020.
