No closure to the cases registered with the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Around 736 cases of child abuse have been registered with the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) in the last six years, but none of them have been disposed of yet, according to the report published in Vijay Karnataka, a Kannada daily.

27 cases in 2009-10, 101 cases in 2010-11, 70 cases in 2011-12, 96 cases in 2012-13, 160 cases in 2013-14, and 282 cases in 2014-15 were registered.

Out of the total of 736 cases, 456 cases are those of rape, with 2014-15 alone contributing 217 rape cases. Cases of physical violence are 156, cases of sale of children are 40, and cases of child marriage are 84.

But, not a single case has been disposed of. 80% of the cases are present in various courts across the state and the remaining 20% cases are being delayed on technical grounds.

Biju Thomas, an Advocate with Empowerment of Children and Human Rights Organization (ECHO) who works with children, says that most cases get delayed in courts and commission cannot do anything once the cases reach the courts. But, he adds that the commission should make efforts to speed up the investigations, which will go a long way in preventing delays.

KSCPCR was set up in July 2009. It is a statutory body that was set up to protect, promote, and defend child rights in the state. It also functions as a civil court and hears cases related to child rights abuse.