Meghalaya recorded 496 crimes committed against children in 2022, according to data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
This is the second highest figure in the North East, behind only the much more populated Assam (4,084).
Third is Tripura (220), followed by Sikkim (159), Arunachal Pradesh (143), Mizoram (135), Manipur 120 and Nagaland (35). The latter has pending clarifications, however.
The crimes specified run the gamut, from abandonment, trafficking to murder and more.
There were 371 crimes committed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 104 of which were in East Khasi Hills. The vast majority of POCSO crimes were committed against girls but there were also seven committed against boys.
Meghalaya recorded some 89 cases of child abduction in 2022, with East Khasi Hills (35) and West Garo Hills (27) being the most affected. Children make up the majority of kidnap cases, with only 50 more comprising adult victims.
There were also 73 cases of kidnapping in the whole of Meghalaya, 28 of whom were missing but deemed as kidnapped.
Other heinous crimes included 13 cases of procuring minor girls (of which 12 alone were in WGH) and three instances of child murder.
