more-in Thirteen child marriages have been reported in the district till September this year. Of these, four were reported from Kilimanoor, four from Varkala, two from Pothencode, two from the city, and one from Nemom, the District Child Protection Unit said in a statement here on Tuesday. Five child marriages had been reported last year The district has also reported the maximum number of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the State. As many as 539 POCSO cases were reported in 2016, as per figures from the special court trying such cases. Similarly, in the period till September this year, there were 150 cases in which children were accused of crime. There are 5,400 children in 97 childcare institutions in the district. Vaccine coverage As per figures (before the measles-rubella vaccination drive) received from the District Medical Office, there were 17 children in the district who were not administered any vaccines and 315 children in which vaccines had been partially administered. Campaign Against the backdrop of the rising crime against children, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the District Child Protection Unit have launched a campaign to generate awareness of these issues among the public as part of the Child Rights Week celebrations. A cultural procession with the theme ‘Protection of children is society’s responsibility’ will get under way at the Nedumangad municipal town hall at 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday. C. Divakaran, MLA, will inaugurate the function. Child rights commission chairperson Shobha Koshy will be the chief guest. District panchayat president V.K. Madhu will preside. The procession will be accorded receptions at 12 places in the district over the next two days.

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