Low conviction rate in Kerala POCSO cases

The conviction rate under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Kerala has declined over the years, although there is a rise in sexual offences against children.

Government records show that the conviction rate is a mere 2.7 per cent over the past five years. In a reply to a question by T Radhakrishnan in the Kerala Legislative Assembly yesterday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio, stated that 17,198 cases under POCSO were registered between from 2016 to October 3, 2021 and the police have submitted chargesheets in 14,496 of these cases, but only 417 persons, which is 2.7 per cent, were convicted. In 2016, 2,026 cases reached the trial stage and there was conviction in only 196 per cent cases. There was drop in the conviction rated the following year, with only 124 convictions in the 2,536 cases in which chargesheets were filed.

Vijayan’s reply said that in 2018, the rate further declined to 2.23 per cent, with convictions only in 67 of the 2,993 cases, while chargesheets were filed in 3,368 cases in 2019, accused faced action only in 24 cases (0.71 per cent). In 2020, of the total 2,581 cases that reached the trial stage, accused were convicted only in six cases (0.23 per cent). Interestingly, none of the POCSO case accused was convicted till October 3 this year, though 2,501 cases were registered and chargesheets were filed in 992 cases.