The number of cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act within the limits of Coimbatore City Police saw a slight increase of 11.6% in 2021 in comparison to the previous year as 77 cases were registered in 2021 while 69 cases were registered in 2020.
As per data provided by the police on Friday, the 77 POCSO cases registered till December 30, 2021 comprised 51 cases of rape and 26 cases of other sexual offences against minors. In 2020, the 69 POCSO cases comprised 46 rape cases and 23 other sexual offences. In both the years, all the accused booked under the POCSO Act were remanded in judicial custody.
Crimes against women saw an increase of 48.7% in 2021 than the previous year as 235 cases were registered in 2021, while in 2020 it was 158 cases. The 235 cases comprised 13 rape cases, eight molestation cases, five abductions, 22 cases of cruelty by husband or relatives, 132 cases registered under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and 55 cases under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. No dowry deaths were reported in the city police limits in both the years and all the accused were remanded, according to the data.
At a press conference on Friday, Commissioner of Police Pradip Kumar said that the Coimbatore City Police will adopt a “prevention and punishment strategy” for crimes against women and children. Preventive measures will be intensified and punishment for criminals will be ensured without delays in these cases, he said, adding that safety of women and children will be prioritised in the New Year.
Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that the police will adopt a three-level strategy to scale-up awareness to prevent crimes against children in Coimbatore in the New Year. This would involve interaction with children, staff members of educational institutions and parents of the children through awareness programmes.
The total number of murder cases reported in the city police limits were 27 for both the years, he said. A total of 1,872 CCTV cameras were installed in the city in 2021, taking the total number of CCTV cameras installed in collaboration with private players to 24,415. The city police have compiled a list of important and sensational cases to expedite trials in these cases, Mr. Kumar said.
