look news india
Mumbai: A worrying trend is being observed in Thane during the current year, where at least one case is being registered every day under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act till August 16. So far 233 cases have been reported in the five zones of the city, of which 25 per cent cases have been reported in Kalyan zone alone. According to information received from the police department, charge sheets have been filed in 180 cases. Recently, there was an uproar after two girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur under Ulhasnagar zone.
The administration faced significant obstacles in effectively prosecuting these cases. The main challenges were flaws in investigation, witnesses turning hostile, delays in filing charge sheets, and flaws in forensic evidence. A notable example is a 2013 case in which the parents of the five-year-old victim, who were legal professionals, withdrew the case to save their daughter from further torture.
A senior police officer said most of the accused were known to the victims, some of whom were neighbours and some relatives, making the case complicated by betrayal. Experts and advocates have recommended hiring more women lawyers, improving evidence collection, training law enforcement agencies and medical professionals, and running citizen awareness campaigns.
The Thane Police Commissioner emphasised on the ongoing efforts to connect educational institutions through the Police Kaka and Police Didi programme, in which officers are visiting schools to address the issue. This initiative has expanded further and 1,175 educational institutions have been visited till July. 1,527 institutions were visited in the entire year 2023.