Delhi, 18 December (H.S.): For the first time since the enactment of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, India has disposed of more child sexual abuse cases in a year than were newly registered, marking a significant turning point in the country’s effort to address judicial pendency.
In 2025, a total of 80,320 POCSO cases were filed across the country, while 87,754 cases were disposed of, resulting in a disposal rate of 109 percent. This indicates that courts not only handled fresh cases but also cleared a portion of the accumulated backlog, according to a report titled “Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse”.
The study was conducted by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB) for Children, an initiative of India Child Protection, and analysed data drawn from the National Judicial Data Grid, National Crime Records Bureau and Lok Sabha questions and answers as of December 2, 2025.
The report noted that 24 states and Union Territories recorded disposal rates exceeding 100 percent, signalling a shift from backlog management to backlog reduction. Seven states and Union Territories achieved disposal rates above 150 percent, while another seven recorded rates between 121 and 150 percent. Ten states registered disposal rates between 100 and 120 percent.
Despite this progress, the report highlighted that pendency remains a major concern. As of 2023, over 2.62 lakh POCSO cases were pending nationwide. Nearly half of the unresolved cases have been pending for more than two years, pointing to systemic delays early in the lifecycle of cases.
Inter-state disparities were also flagged as a serious challenge. Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 37 percent of all POCSO cases pending for more than five years, followed by Maharashtra at 24 percent and West Bengal at 11 percent. Together, these three states contribute nearly three-fourths of long-pending cases exceeding five years.
To eliminate the entire backlog within four years, the report recommended the establishment of 600 additional dedicated e-POCSO courts. It estimated that an allocation of Rs 1,977 crore over four years would be required for this expansion, suggesting that the Nirbhaya Fund could be utilised for the purpose.
Commenting on the findings, Purujit Praharaj, Director (Research), India Child Protection, said that the justice system has reached a critical tipping point. He noted that disposing of more cases than are registered reflects a transition from intent to measurable impact, while cautioning that sustained momentum is essential to prevent renewed accumulation of pendency.
The report further underlined that prolonged delays aggravate trauma for child survivors and weaken faith in the justice delivery system. It recommended maintaining disposal rates above 100 percent annually across all states and Union Territories, providing targeted administrative and technical support to lagging judiciaries, and strengthening monitoring of conviction and acquittal trends.
The study also called for the adoption of AI-powered legal research tools and advanced document management systems to improve case analysis, tracking and retrieval, aimed at expediting trials and ensuring timely, child-centric justice.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
