Revision as of 20:33, 15 February 2014

2012: Juvenile delinquency in India

100 juveniles booked for murder, 63 held for rape

Dwaipayan Ghosh TNN 2013/06/14

The Times of India

Juvenile delinquency: 2012

New Delhi: The number of juvenile offenders in the city registered a jump in 2012 with a hundred apprehended for murder and 63 for rape, a National Crime Records Bureau report has stated. Though the capital fared better than states like Bihar and Maharashtra, psychologists say it’s time for some on-ground action .

Also, 74 minors were detained for attempt to murder and six for culpable homicide. Eighteen were held for kidnapping and abduction, 10 of whom had targeted girls, while 13 were held for dacoity.

Figures from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra show that the juvenile crime graph has seen a big spike. While 183 juveniles were held in Maharashtra in 2012 for murder, in MP the figure was 197.

That these youngsters can be as brutal as adults was seen recently when a Class XII student was murdered by his four minor friends in Greater Noida, with police finding his body in Aligarh, 27 km away.

According to psychologist Dileep Majumder, this data calls for a rethink on the legal definition of adolescence. “The report of the Justice Verma Committee has not really dwelt on the adolescence debate. The committee should also have had psychologists throwing light on the mental health of juveniles apprehended for rape which would add perspective to the debate on whether or not the age of trial should be lowered from 18 years to 16 years,” Majumder said. With access to internet, psychiatrists feel that the “aspiration levels of adolescents and adults are slowly becoming the same”.

Rape by juveniles

2002-2012

143% spurt in rape by juveniles in past decade, record shows

Deeptiman Tiwary, TNN | Aug 24, 2013

The Times of India Aug 24, 2013

Government data shows crimes by juveniles — specially rape and abduction of women — has seen an exponential rise in the past decade. While rape by juveniles has recorded a 143% spurt, abduction of women has jumped by 380% even though overall rise in juvenile crimes recorded under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been only 50% against figures for 2002. Even theft (64.5%) and murder (86.4%) have recorded smaller jumps compared to rape and abduction by juveniles.

It has also been observed that the share of teens — aged between 16 and 18 — in juvenile crimes has steadily increased. From 48.7% in 2002, it has gone up to 66.5% in 2012. In 2011, it stood at 63.9%.

Maharashtra, in particular, has had a poor show as far as controlling juvenile crimes are concerned. With 4,570 cases of juvenile crimes, Maharashtra was second only to Madhya Pradesh (5,446) and together with states like Assam (2,345), Chhattisgarh (2,180), Rajasthan (1,880) and Andhra Pradesh (1,593) accounted for 64.5% of all juvenile crimes. It also ended up with maximum juvenile arrests — at 4,221 — in the 16-18 age group.

In cases of rape by juveniles too, Maharashtra was among top five states in 2012 with 89 cases, next only to Madhya Pradesh (249), UP (110) and Rajasthan (102). Delhi — notorious for its attitude towards women and infamous for the December 16, 2012 gang rape involving a minor accused — recorded 57 rapes by juveniles last year.

Given that the alleged accused in the Mumbai gang rape have turned out to be petty thieves, Maharashtra has more reasons to worry as it accounts for maximum thefts by juveniles accounting for 19.8% of all juvenile thefts in the country.

A Mumbai Police officer explained, "Controlling juvenile crimes is a challenge as it is not merely linked to law and order but also the socio-economic dynamics of the society. Most juvenile criminals come from extremely poor backgrounds, start with stealing and then slowly start indulging in bigger crimes, including robbery, murder and rape. So many of them go back to their old ways even after getting caught and spending time in juvenile homes. It's not just the fear of the law that will stop this."

Data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) backs the analysis. More than 78% of juvenile criminals came from families earning less than Rs 50,000 a year.

Juvenile rapists: 2010-2012

Juvenile rapists on the rise across the country

Jayaraj Sivan, TNN | Jun 19, 2013

The Times of India

CHENNAI: Even as a debate rages over whether or not criminal offenders in the 16-18 age group should be treated as juvenile delinquents, instances of juveniles coming into conflict with the law, especially in cases of heinous crimes such as rape, are on the rise.

Between 2010 and 2012, there was a 233% increase in juveniles getting apprehended on rape charges in Tamil Nadu. While Odisha saw the maximum increase in percentage terms (411%), in actual numbers Madhya Pradesh (284) still accounted for maximum juvenile rapists in the country, as per the latest statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau for 2012.

Uttar Pradesh reported the second highest number of juvenile rapists with 123 arrests. There were 109 arrests in Rajasthan, 106 in Maharashtra, 89 in West Bengal, 87 in Odisha and 81 in Andhra Pradesh. New Delhi, which is gaining notoriety as the rape capital of India, reported 63 arrests of juveniles on rape charges. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, 30 juveniles each were arrested on rape charges and 13 were apprehended in neighbouring Karnataka.

While a section of society advocates lowering the age of juvenile delinquents and meting out deterrent punishment to tackle such crimes, psychologists and child rights activists differ.

See also

Juveniles, benefits and privileges of

Juvenile delinquency in India

Rapes in India