Over the last decade, the number of girl child rape victims reported across the country has risen sharply, while courts continue to grapple with thousands of pending cases. The recent rape incidents in Delhi have sparked outrage and renewed concerns over the safety of girl child in India. official data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) suggest that the problem extends far beyond a one-off incident While the cases have once again triggered demands for swift action.
In 2015, police recorded 10,934 girl victims below the age of 18. By 2024, that figure had jumped to 43,675.
NCRB data show that the number of reported girl child rape victims in India has increased significantly over the years. The annual count has risen almost every year, highlighting the scale of sexual violence faced by minor girls across the country. In 2015, police recorded 10,934 girl victims below the age of 18. By 2024, that figure had jumped to 43,675. Sexual assault (non-penetrative) emerged as the second-largest category, with 96,505 victims during the five-year period. Cases of sexual harassment accounted for 12,807 victims, while 2,924 victims were linked to the use of children for pornography. Another 3,034 victims were recorded under other categories of sexual offences. The figures highlight that while different forms of sexual abuse affect children, rape remains the single biggest contributor to crimes against minor girls, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all victims covered in these categories between 2020 and 2024.
The Accused Is Usually Someone The Victim Knows
One of the most striking findings in the data challenges a common perception about child rape. Friends, partners on the pretext of marriage, relatives, neighbours and family members accounted for the majority of the accused persons. Only a small fraction of cases involved strangers.
In 2024, 97 per cent of girl child rape cases involved a person known to the victim.
