POCSO Victims Nearly Double in 7 Years as Child Sexual Offenses Surge

• POCSO cases and victims nearly doubled between 2016 and 2023, rising from approximately 36,000 to over 67,000.
• Overall crimes against children increased by 40% during the same period, with sexual offenses being a major driver.
• Girls constitute over 99% of child rape victims, with the 16-18 age group accounting for more than half of these cases.
• Kidnapping remains the largest category of crime against children, with 5.32 lakh victims between 2016-2023.
• Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu consistently report high numbers of child rape victims.

Why It Matters: Sexual offenses against children, particularly under POCSO, are rapidly increasing, outpacing overall child crime.