Govt admits crime against children increased

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) The government today admitted that crime against children and child rape has increased in the country and said it has amended the Juvenile Justice Act to make it more friendly and formulated a new Integrated Child Protection Scheme.

Minister of State for Women and Children Renuka Chowdhury informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today that as per the National Crime Records Bureau the crime against children has increased in the country by 3.8% and child rape increased by 13.7% in 2005 as compared to 2004.

Also, an Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children in India has revealed that on an average 44,476 children per year are reported missing of whom about 11,008 continue to remain missing, she admitted. This report has been compiled by the National Human Rights Commission in collaboration with the UNIFEM and the Institute of Social Sciences for six year period from 1996 to 2001.

Ms Chowdhury said the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 provides for constitution of a Central Advisory Board to advise the Government on matters relating to establishment and maintenance of homes, mobilisation of resources, provision of facilities for education, tracing and rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection and juvenile in conflict with law and coordination among the various concerned official agencies.

About why the Board had not met even once since the amendment, she said that earlier the matter was being handled by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry but after the transfer of the subject to Women and Child Development Ministry, efforts have been made to reconstitute the Board and hold its meeting. She said the ministry has been regularly consulting a large number of child welfare experts and representatives of the Government and NGOs working in the area.

UNI