As per the newly released National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report (Crime in India 2023), Maharashtra has been witnessing a rise in the number of crimes against children. Child rights organisation Child Rights and You – CRY, which analysed the NCRB data, says that the rate of crime against children in the financial capital appears to have increased over the past few years.
Crimes against children in Maharashtra
Earlier in 2023, as per the analyses, there were 22,390 cases of crimes against children recorded in the state. This means that, on average, over 61 crimes occurred each day, more than 2.5 crimes each hour, and roughly one crime every 23 minutes.
According to the data, the rate of crimes against children (the Rate of crime is population-adjusted – it gives the number of crimes for every 1 lakh population of children) in the state is 62.0.
Maharashtra still stands at the 10th position in terms of the rate of crimes against children, standing behind states and UTs such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands (143.4), Delhi (140.3), Chandigarh (90.7), Assam (84.2), Madhya Pradesh (77.9), Haryana (70.2), Sikkim (67.5), D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu (64.0), and Kerala (62.8).
Crimes against children in Maharashtra 2021-2023
While the total number of crimes against children in Maharashtra has shown a consistent upward trend, rising from 17,261 cases in 2021 to 22,390 cases in 2023, this represented an overall increase of about 29.7 per cent over three years.
Furthermore, between the years 2021 and 2022, there was a sharp increase of about 20.28 per cent. Although the rate of increase slowed to around 7.84% between 2022 and 2023, the upward trend continued.
Kreeanne Rabadi, Regional Director, CRY – West, asserted that, “While it is commendable to see that cases of crimes against children are getting reported, each case represents a failure to protect our most vulnerable citizens. We need to prioritise child protection with stronger prevention, faster response, and unwavering accountability.”
Crimes concentrated in urban districts
Out of the total 49 districts, the majority of crimes were recorded in Mumbai Commr with 3,110 cases (13.89%), followed by Thane Commr with 1,638 cases (7.32%) and Pune Commr with 1,234 cases (5.51%). The top five districts together accounted for 35.18% of crimes against children in the state, with a total of 7,876 recorded cases.
Maharashtra records the highest number of kidnapping and abduction cases
Kidnapping and abduction accounted for 54.72 per cent of all child-related crimes in Maharashtra, with 12,252 cases recorded in 2023. Mumbai, Thane, and Pune Commissionerates together contributed nearly 30 per cent of all such cases.
Kidnapping and abduction of children
Of the total 49 districts, the majority of crimes were recorded in Mumbai Commr with 1,777 cases (14.50 per cent), followed by Thane Commr with 1119 cases (9.13%) and Pune Commr with 764 cases (6.24 per cent). The top five districts together accounted for 39.44% of crimes against children in the state, with a total of 4832 recorded cases.
POCSO cases: Girls constitute 98 per cent of victims
Crimes under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act made up 38.58 per cent of all crimes against children, 8,639 cases in total. Of these, 8,519 victims were girls (98.16%), underscoring the disproportionate gender impact of sexual offences in the state.
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)
Of the total cases registered under the POCSO Act, the majority were recorded in Mumbai Commr with 1,157 cases (13.39 per cent), followed by Thane Commr with 458 cases (5.30 per cent) and Pune Commr with 432 cases (5.00%). The top five districts together accounted for 32.19% of all POCSO-related crimes against children in the state, with a total of 2,781 recorded cases.
Gender break-up of POCSO cases in Maharashtra
Overall, Maharashtra reported 8,639 such cases in 2023, including 8,519 involving girls (98.16%) and 120 involving boys (1.39 %), indicating that girls constitute the overwhelming majority of POCSO victims in the state.
