More than 97% of the accused booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 were known to their victims, according to the latest ‘Crime in India 2024’ report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Wednesday.
The NCRB findings underline a disturbing trend in child sexual abuse cases across the state — the threat is emerging largely from within familiar social and family circles rather than from strangers.
According to the NCRB report, Uttar Pradesh recorded 3,671 Pocso cases in 2024 in which offender details were analysed. Of these, 3,581 cases involved offenders known to the child victim, accounting for 97.5% of the total. Only 90 cases involved unidentified offenders.
The report categorised the accused into different relationship groups. 329 accused were family members, 1,595 were relatives, neighbours, employers or other known persons, 1,657 were friends, online acquaintances, live-in partners or persons who contacted victims on the pretext of marriage or relationships.
The figures suggest that children, especially adolescent girls, are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation by persons they interact with regularly, both offline and through digital platforms.
The NCRB data also showed that Uttar Pradesh recorded 3,672 child victims under Sections 4 and 6 of the Pocso Act in 2024. Of them, 3,571 were girls and only 101 were boys. Teenage girls formed the largest victim group. The state reported 1,181 victims in the 16-18 years age bracket, including 1,173 girls. Another 1,759 victims were in the 12-16 years category, of whom 1,721 were girls.
{{/usCountry}}The NCRB data also showed that Uttar Pradesh recorded 3,672 child victims under Sections 4 and 6 of the Pocso Act in 2024. Of them, 3,571 were girls and only 101 were boys. Teenage girls formed the largest victim group. The state reported 1,181 victims in the 16-18 years age bracket, including 1,173 girls. Another 1,759 victims were in the 12-16 years category, of whom 1,721 were girls.
{{/usCountry}}Child rights experts said the data indicates a growing pattern of emotional manipulation, grooming through social media platforms and abuse within trusted social environments.
Investigators said many recent Pocso cases involve accused who establish contact through Instagram, Facebook, online gaming platforms or messaging applications before exploiting minors emotionally or sexually.
Overall, Uttar Pradesh registered 22,222 crimes against children in 2024, up from 18,852 cases in 2023. The state had the second-highest number of such cases in the country after Maharashtra.
However, due to its large child population, Uttar Pradesh’s crime rate against children stood at 26 per lakh child population, below the national average of 42.3.
The state also recorded a chargesheeting rate of 70.5% in crimes against children, higher than the national average of 61.4%. Officials said the rising figures may partly reflect greater awareness about Pocso provisions, improved reporting systems and mandatory FIR registration.
However, experts cautioned that the dominance of known offenders in child sexual abuse cases points to the urgent need for stronger parental supervision, school-based awareness programmes and digital safety education for adolescents. They also stressed the importance of faster disposal of Pocso cases through special courts and improved psychological support systems for victims.