KOCHI: Ernakulam continues to record a high rate of cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, with district already recording 14 cases till October, shows district crime records bureau (DCRB) data.The number of cases reported in 2018 is way higher than the initial years after the Act came in existence in 2012, with a 133% hike from 2013. However, the rate of increase seems to have slowed down with the percentage increase from 2017 to 2018 becoming 5%, while the increase from 2016 to 2017 was at 12%.According to Subair K K, a special officer with social justice department (SJD), the rate is going to remain high for at least three more years.“Survivors can still report assaults that have happened since 2012. Those who have crossed the age of 18 can file complaints. We believe that the number would remain high at least till 2021 after which the rate would start to come down,” said Subair.He said now the state needs to take care of the survivors. “The survivors are most likely economically, socially and mentally vulnerable and are prone to being harassed again. The state needs to give a day-to-day care to them,” he said. Ernakulam district child protection officer (DCPO) Zaina K B said the rural Ernakulam continues to report more Pocso cases in the district. “Chances are high for reporting abuses from rural areas due to more interpersonal communications there,” said Zaina. While Kochi city reported 95 Pocso cases in the first 10 months this year, as many as 119 cases were reported from Ernakulam rural.She said that they were in the process of reviving the local body-level child protection committees headed by panchayat president.“Local bodies would have more access and by getting them involved, we intend to provide maximum awareness thereby enabling them to take preventive steps to avoid such instances,” said Zaina.DCPO said that a workshop for representatives from eight block panchayats and 41 panchayats were held at North Paravur recently with this aim. DCPO is planning to cover the rest of the district in the coming months.Officials with special juvenile police unit (SJPU), meanwhile, said that the department needs to ensure that the officers designated to be child welfare police officers (CWPOs) at every station are being exclusively assigned such cases.“CWPOs are often assigned other duties and this needs to change,” said an SJPU official under condition of anonymity.

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