Kerala govt data reveals 44 victims of child sexual abuses ended their lives in past decade

According to the government data, Kerala reported 31,171 cases under the POCSO from June 2016 to December 2024.  The 8.5 years have also seen 28,728 arrests.

The state also reported 271 POCSO cases and 175 arrests in the first 17 days of 2025. Only 2,614 cases have seen convictions despite POCSO cases being tried at dedicated fast track courts, the data shows.

Cases pertaining to sexual assault on minors have increased considerably increased since 2022. While around 3,000 cases were reported every year between 2016 and 2021, it went up to 4,518 in 2022, 4,641 in 2023 and 4,594 in 2024.
Referring to the reported suicides among POCSO survivors, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson K V Manoj Kumar said that “necessary directions had been given to all stakeholders to ensure that the survivors are taken care of. One factor is suicide tendency has increased among minors”.

“After undergoing trauma, they will feel depressed. At this stage, they are being given psychological support. Various departments have reported to the commission that POCSO survivors are given all support. When the alleged accused are within the family, the victims would have to be sheltered in children’s homes. That may also create a depression among them. We have to see to what extent these interventions are effective,” he said.

Advocate R S Vijaya Mohan, special prosecutor at fast-track PCOSO court in Thiruvananthapuram, said a section of reported cases pertain to adolescent affairs.

“Such cases are accidental and during trial both sides settle the cases. When assailants are from within the family, children are reluctant to depose against them or turn hostile,” he said.

The child rights commission chairperson also echoes the same view on conviction, saying such cases “get settled later”.

“Marriage at adolescent age is prevalent among a section of the tribals,” he said.

According to the police, an 18-year-old Dalit girl from Pathanamthitta district had faced sexual abuse and assault since the age of 16. The alleged incident came to light when volunteers of the Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society met the girl, a district-level athlete, during a field visit.