UP tops in child rape cases, Delhi comes second

New DelhiL: Uttar Pradesh has achieved the dubious distinction of reporting the maximum number of child sexual abuse and rape cases and the national capital comes a close second.

The country's largest state in terms of population has reported 61 child sex abuse cases and 900 cases of rape of children with Delhi coming next with 52 child sexual abuse and 301 rape cases, according to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

While the figures for child sexual abuse are a compilation since the inception of the NCPCR in 2007, the number of rape cases are for the year 2008.

Andhra Pradesh reported 16 abuse and 412 rape cases, Bihar 15 and 91 and Madhya Pradesh 18 and 892.

The corresponding figures for Orissa were 22 abuse and 65 rape cases while Tamil Nadu and West Bengal reported 14 and 10 abuse cases respectively.

The track record for various states differed as far as disposing off of the cases were concerned.

Out of the 61 sexual abuse cases reported by Uttar Pradesh, only eight have been disposed off till now. The track record for Rajasthan was though much better with three out of five cases having been disposed off.

In Punjab, 50 per cent of the cases that is nine out of 18 have been disposed off.

Delhi has disposed off 18 out of 52 cases.

NCPCR member Sandhya Bajaj said that the state government routinely send their responses in relation to particular cases.

"Sometimes the action taken and the speed of disposal of the cases is not satisfactory so we send them back to the states for further perusal," Bajaj said.

The Northeastern states have fared better with no cases being reported from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and only one from Manipur.

The complaints received by the NCPCR are processed and forwarded to the concerned state governments or Union Territories for remedial measures and for taking appropriate action under relevant laws.

Senior officials in the Women and Child Development Ministry said the Government is addressing the issues relating to child abuse through policies, legislation and other plans which include the National Policy on Children.