A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been filed against a senior editor and two reporters of a popular Malayalam news channel in connection with their coverage of the state school festival.
The charges were made on Wednesday, according to police reports. The offences are bailable, the police confirmed.
The case was filed after the reporters made statements during the school festival coverage in early January that seemed to have "double meaning" regarding one of the contestants.
As a result, an FIR was registered under sections 11 (sexual harassment) and 12 (punishment for sexual harassment) of the POCSO Act against the three journalists, based on a report from the Women and Child Development Office.
Sexual abuse of children is a major concern in Kerala. A report from the New Indian Express revealed that 4,196 cases of child sexual abuse were reported under the POCSO Act by November of last year.
This number is expected to exceed 4,500 when December 2024 data is finalised.
In 2023, 4,641 POCSO cases were registered, with Thiruvananthapuram having the highest number (541 cases), followed by Malappuram (465), Kozhikode (416), and Kollam (397). Pathanamthitta had the fewest cases (150).
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Soja Thulsidharan, a special prosecutor for POCSO cases in Kollam, noted that many child sexual abuse incidents come from homes and schools.
She also mentioned a rise in cases involving male victims, as awareness about reporting such abuse has grown. "Previously, there were only one or two cases involving male victims, but now about 50 cases are reported annually," she said.
Thulsidharan also highlighted that teenage consensual sex contributes to the rise in cases. Teenagers often don’t understand that sexual activity before the age of 18 is not legally consensual.
These incidents often come to light when the victim faces pregnancy or other health problems. She emphasized the need for greater awareness and education about the POCSO Act for children.
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