Guwahati: Assam has witnessed a sharp surge in crimes against children, with data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showing that reported cases nearly doubled within a year. The figures have triggered strong reactions from political leaders, with Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday describing the situation as a “grave child safety crisis”.
According to the NCRB’s Crime in India 2023 report, cases of crimes against children in the state rose from 4,084 in 2022 to 10,174 in 2023, marking an almost 100 percent rise.
Nationally, crimes against children increased by about 25 per cent during the same period. Assam also recorded the highest crime rate against children in the country, at 84.2 per one lakh child population — more than double the national average of 39.
The issue of missing children has further heightened concerns. The Assam government informed the Assembly in 2024 that more than 3,700 children had gone missing in the state over the past three years. In addition, over 2,800 child labourers have been rescued across Assam in the last five years.
Recent incidents have kept the issue in public focus. A few days ago, three children were reported missing from Dima Hasao district.
In another case last year, two 14-year-old girls from Kamrup Rural district were allegedly trafficked to Bihar. While one of the girls was later rescued, the other remains untraced, with no official updates on her whereabouts.
Reacting to the figures and recent developments, Gogoi said that each statistic represented a child whose safety had been compromised and a family forced to live with fear and uncertainty. He stressed that ensuring the safety of children was a fundamental responsibility of any government and called for stronger accountability and systemic safeguards.