Crimes against women and children rise in 2023: NCRB data

India recorded a rise in crimes against women and children between 2021 and 2023, with the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures showing that cases touched their highest levels in 2023. 

In a reply to questions asked in Lok Sabha on December 3, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar said spikes in domestic violence, kidnappings, cybercrimes, and, most alarmingly, child marriages.

According to the data, crimes against women rose from 4.28 lakh in 2021 to 4.48 lakh in 2023. Domestic cruelty remained the single largest contributor, accounting for over 1.33 lakh cases in 2023. Kidnapping and abduction of women continued to climb, crossing 88,600 cases, while assault on women with intent to outrage modesty remained high at over 83,000 cases.

Sexual offences, while still significant, saw a slight decline. Rape cases fell from 31,677 in 2021 to 29,670 in 2023, and attempts to commit rape also dipped. Cybercrimes against women, however, surged sharply from 2,597 cases in 2021 to 3,678 in 2023.

UP, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra lead in crime numbers

Uttar Pradesh continued to report the highest number of crimes against women in 2023 with 66,381 cases, followed by Rajasthan (45,450) and Maharashtra (47,101). At the other end of the spectrum, smaller states and Union Territories such as Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram recorded the lowest numbers.

Among the states specifically raised in the parliamentary question, Gujarat logged 7,805 cases in 2023, showing a marginal increase over three years. Andhra Pradesh, which had seen a spike in 2022, recorded 22,418 cases in 2023. Jharkhand, by contrast, showed a year-on-year decline, dropping to 6,989 cases.

Child crimes up by 18%, child marriages increase

Crimes against children showed an even more dramatic rise. Total cases grew from 1.49 lakh in 2021 to 1.77 lakh in 2023, an increase of nearly 18% over the period. Kidnapping and abduction of children formed the bulk of cases (79,884 in 2023), followed by sexual offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which was at 66,232 cases.

One of the most alarming shifts was in child marriages. Cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) increased from 1,002 in 2022 to 6,038 in 2023, a nearly six-fold jump. 

Madhya Pradesh tops the list for child-related crimes with 22,393 cases in 2023, followed closely by Maharashtra (22,390) and Uttar Pradesh at 18,852.

Better reporting of crime, says MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs has attributed the rise in crimes to better reporting of crime due to various factors. These include increased level of education and awareness in society about women’s rights, improved law enforcement mechanism, enactment of strict criminal laws to curb crime against women and children, ease of access to police stations, compliance with protocol and advisories for filing of FIR including zero FIR (Zero FIR is a FIR that can be filed at any police station regardless of where the crime occurred), gender sensitisation, and others.