When childhood feels unsafe | POCSO cases in Andhra Pradesh

For a child, danger may not always arrive wearing a stranger’s face. It can come disguised as friendship, affection, a familiar voice or a promise of something as simple as an ice cream. In Rayalaseema, several POCSO cases reveal how children are often drawn into situations they neither understand nor know how to escape. Some stories end with swift arrests and convictions; others surface only after fear, silence or a sudden change in behaviour raises an alarm.

Behind the case numbers are children forced to navigate trauma, investigation, medical examinations and court proceedings, often long after the crime. As police records show mixed trends in POCSO cases across the region, the bigger question is not merely whether crimes are increasing or declining, but whether children are being heard early enough — and whether the system can respond before a warning sign becomes a tragedy.

It was a promise. A promise of love, friendship, and something a young girl thought she could trust. What followed at the forested outskirts of Badvel was so ghastly that when the investigation team reached the spot, they were not merely picking up forensic clues; they were trying to reconstruct the final, agonised hours of a child.

In October 2024, a 19-year-old youth allegedly lured a minor girl to an isolated area, sexually assaulted her, and murdered her in an attempt to destroy evidence. Kadapa police arrested the accused within a few hours and built the case on scientific, forensic, and technical evidence. The special POCSO court eventually sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered compensation for the family.

The conviction offered closure on paper. But every officer who worked on the case was left with an uncomfortable question: how did a child become so vulnerable that no adult could intervene before it was too late?

“I pray this will be the last such case in my career,” said a police officer involved in the investigation.

The sentiment continues to resonate in homes, schools, courts and police stations across Rayalaseema.

On the night of November 6, 2019, a five-year-old girl accompanied her parents to a wedding function hall at Angallu village near Madanapalle, in present-day Annamayya district. The child was playing at the venue and eating ice cream when, according to CCTV footage, she left the premises with a man at around 10 p.m. after being lured with eatables.

At sunrise the next day, her body was found behind the hall, dumped in a 30-foot-deep ditch.

The gruesome crime triggered Statewide outrage and protests in Madanapalle. But the CCTV footage was blurry. Police prepared a sketch based on eyewitness accounts and circulated it to police stations across Andhra Pradesh and on social media.

A 100-member special team led by then Madanapalle Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Ravi Manoharachari swung into action. Half a dozen suspects whose features matched the sketch came under the police scanner.

One of them, Pathan Mohammed Rafi, 25, a lorry cleaner, had gone missing from his village near the crime scene. Police found that he had tonsured his head to alter his appearance before escaping to a remote location in Chhattisgarh on the pretext of transporting a load of tomatoes.

The lorry owner cooperated with police and persuaded Rafi to return, telling him he would be given a hefty advance for an urgent trip to Chennai. Rafi fell into the trap laid by the police on the outskirts of Madanapalle on November 16, 10 days after the crime.

The speed of the investigation drew attention from police, judicial and public circles. Forensic reports were submitted to the court within 10 days. Against the statutory 90-day period available for filing a charge sheet in such cases, Madanapalle police filed the charge sheet in just 17 working days, on December 10, 2019.

Also read:Madanapalle minor girl rape and murder: Police file charge sheet in record 17 days

On February 24, 2020, the First Additional District Court in Chittoor awarded Rafi the death penalty.

The two cases, separated by five years and different circumstances, point to the same uncomfortable reality. Behind every POCSO statistic is a child whose life may have been permanently altered.

A confusing trail of POCSO violations

The latest picture of POCSO violations in Rayalaseema, however, presents a confusing trail.

In Chittoor district, POCSO cases increased from 46 in 2024 to 56 in 2025, a rise of about 22%. Interestingly, overall crime in the district fell by 26%. While thefts, assaults and other offences were on the decline, cases involving sexual offences against children moved in the opposite direction.

In Anantapur, POCSO cases declined from 83 in 2024 to 71 in 2025. In neighbouring Kurnool, the fall was sharper, from 61 cases to 37.

At the state level, Andhra Pradesh recorded 1,879 POCSO cases in 2025, compared with 2,120 in 2024 — a decline of 11.4%, according to the police crime review.

But numbers alone do not tell the whole story. A senior police officer in Chittoor said an increase in cases could indicate better reporting, greater awareness, more parents approaching police, improved detection by teachers and hostel wardens, or more missing-child enquiries eventually turning into POCSO cases.

Conversely, a decline could indicate better prevention, but it could also mean fewer complaints reaching the police or families choosing silence because of fear, stigma or pressure.

“Fluctuations in figures from district to district should be read carefully. Focused drives against crimes involving women and children, women help desks in police stations and awareness campaigns following high-profile convictions in Badvel and Madanapalle have definitely encouraged reporting,” the officer said.

In Kurnool and Anantapur, police attributed the decline partly to preventive counselling in schools and residential hostels, though changes in reporting patterns could also have contributed.

In Tirupati, police have opened 187 POCSO-related surveillance sheets as part of their monitoring of accused persons and sensitive cases.

Andhra Pradesh has 16 functional exclusive POCSO courts. These courts were created as fast-track courts because a child cannot be expected to wait for the ordinary judicial calendar. Official data shows that the 16 courts have cumulatively instituted 14,990 POCSO cases since the fast-track scheme was introduced, while 9,137 cases had been disposed of by January 31, earlier this year. The latest Department of Justice dashboard shows 5,408 cases pending before exclusive POCSO courts in Andhra Pradesh.

For a statistician, 5,408 is a figure. For a child survivor, it can mean another summons, another medical examination, another day away from school and another night of anxiety before a court appearance.

A senior advocate in Kurnool who has represented POCSO victims said the label “fast-track” did not automatically translate into speedy justice. “When forensic reports are delayed, when there are staff vacancies and when child witnesses need special arrangements, cases can still take years,” he said.

Silence plays crucial role

The most difficult reality in Rayalaseema’s POCSO cases is often familiarity.

An NGO working with children in Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts said abuse frequently begins with silence. A field worker recalled a case in a forested village in Chittoor district where a mother noticed that her daughter had stopped eating and was reluctant to go to school. A week later, the girl was found to be pregnant. The alleged perpetrator was her maternal uncle.

In another Tirupati case, a teenage college student allegedly faced sexual assault by an auto driver she knew. She did not immediately approach the police because of threats and fear. She eventually confided in a friend and then approached the authorities.

“When a complaint reaches the police, the procedure is different. The child’s statement has to be recorded by a woman officer at a place where the child feels safe, and repeated questioning is avoided. The child’s age also has to be established through legally acceptable documents such as a birth certificate or school records, or, where necessary, an ossification test,” the field worker said.

Medical examination is another sensitive stage. It has to be conducted with the required consent and safeguards, preferably by a woman doctor where available, while forensic samples need to be collected and preserved properly.

Then there is the digital trail. Social media chats, messages, call records, location data, photographs and videos can become crucial pieces of evidence. In some cases, a threatening voice note or a pattern of late-night calls can help investigators reconstruct what a frightened child may be unable to narrate.

“Every additional interview carries the risk of making the victim relive the trauma,” said a child welfare officer assisting Chittoor police.

Technology, however, has become a double-edged sword. Police officers across Rayalaseema say smartphones have changed the nature of POCSO cases in recent years. Grooming can happen through fake profiles, promises of gifts or love, and threats such as the warning that private photographs will be circulated.

At the same time, the phone can leave behind a trail.

“A location ping near the scene, a deleted chat retrieved through forensic tools or a pattern of late-night calls can help investigators zero in on an accused,” said a Circle Inspector in Sri Sathya Sai district.

The problem is that extracting and analysing such data requires trained personnel and time. Delays in forensic laboratory reports can further slow investigations.

“This is why specialised training for investigation officers and better forensic infrastructure should be treated as crucial to fast-tracking POCSO cases,” said another police officer in Chittoor district.

Delayed interventions

The delay between the offence and the complaint makes the challenge even greater.

In Sri Sathya Sai district, police dealt with a case involving a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly by her foster father and another relative. The abuse came to light only after the girl fell seriously ill and was found to be pregnant. Her mother eventually approached the authorities.

In Annamayya district, a government school teacher was booked under the POCSO Act following allegations involving minor girl students. Police said some children were initially reluctant to speak because they feared being scolded or disbelieved.

In Anantapur, a Class 9 girl complained of inappropriate conduct by a teacher. Her parents approached police, and the teacher was suspended.

These are allegations, not findings of guilt. Every accused is entitled to a fair trial. But such cases inevitably raise questions about institutions that are supposed to protect children.

The POCSO Act places a legal responsibility on people who become aware of sexual offences against children. Section 19 mandates reporting, while Section 21 provides punishment for failure to report or record such offences. The responsibility, therefore, extends beyond the police to schools, hostels, hospitals, families and other institutions dealing with children.

Police say prevention increasingly depends on spotting small changes in a child’s behaviour.

Superintendent of Police, Sri Sathya Sai district, S. Satish Kumar said the police had intensified awareness programmes and visible policing around educational institutions.

“During the last two years, the police have been religiously following a regimen to sensitise vulnerable groups to sexual abuse. We have intensified visible policing and are holding periodic interactions with students and faculty. We have covered educational institutions through the ‘Good Touch-Bad Touch’ campaign,” he said.

He said CCTV cameras in public places, including rural areas and crime-prone locations, had helped police considerably.

‘Sea of awareness’

“There is a sea of awareness among the public, and most people are cooperating with the police by providing leads in crucial cases. Parent-teacher meetings in government and private schools have proved useful in preventing possible crimes. Girl children are encouraged to speak boldly when they encounter vulgar or inappropriate behaviour. The Shakti App and mobile police teams are additional strengths in preventing POCSO violations,” he said.

The SP said parents should pay attention to sudden changes in a child’s behaviour — unexplained fear of a person, reluctance to attend school or tuition, disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, a sudden drop in marks, withdrawal, anger or unexplained expensive gifts.

Munirathnam, a retired high school teacher in Srikalahasti, said educational institutions should have a written child protection policy, proper background verification of staff and a clear, child-friendly complaint mechanism.

“When a complaint comes, the institution must report it to the police immediately if it involves a sexual offence, rather than trying to settle it internally. Police involvement will create fear among those who may otherwise abuse children and make them think twice,” he said.

A Child Development Project Officer in Anantapur district said children in early adolescence, particularly those aged between 12 and 16, remained especially vulnerable to sexual offences covered by the POCSO Act.

The risks can be greater for children from economically weaker families, migrant and daily-wage households, school dropouts, street children, child labourers and children in institutional care. Children with disabilities can face additional risks because of dependency and communication barriers.

Azad Narendra, an advocate and social activist in Kuppam, said the effectiveness of POCSO ultimately depended on how quickly the system moved after a child spoke out.

“Justice under POCSO collapses when power is unequal. Despite mandates for one-year trials and 90-day interim compensation, FTSC backlogs, FSL delays, bureaucratic red tape, and stigma leave child survivors without adequate legal aid or protection. POCSO needs time-bound forensics, functional courts, automatic compensation, and a full prevention-to-rehabilitation ecosystem that ensures real safety,” he said.