Mumbai stands second in crime against children in India

Mumbai stands second in crime against children in India

The gruesome rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Worli on Tuesday has again raised questions about the safety of children in the country’s financial capital.

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According to figures from the National Crime Records Bureau of India (NCRB), Mumbai ranked second among 88 cities in the country in crime against children last year, having contributed 5.5% to the national figure.

Majeed Memon, criminal lawyer, said that the rise in crime against women and children was a matter of serious concern.

“It suggests that offenders are not scared of law,” he said.

Mumbai registered 517 cases where victims were children last year, not very far from Bangalore which topped the list with 551 cases. Delhi, meanwhile, stood third with 363 cases of crime against children.

The cases included rape, murder, infanticide, kidnapping and abduction, forcing children into prostitution, child marriage, among other offences. The city also secured the second position in the list of murders and rapes committed in the country. While 141 minors were raped in the city last year, 17 were murdered.

According to the statistics, with 3,456 cases, Maharashtra ranked fourth in crime against children in the country last year. Uttar Pradesh topped the chart with 6,033 cases.

Despite several attempts, the Mumbai police spokesperson, joint commissioner of police (law and order) and the state DGP were unavailable for comment.