Over 14,000 child marriages prevented across 265 districts in 17 states and UTs: NGO report

New Delhi: More than 14,000 child marriages have been prevented across 265 districts in 17 states and Union Territories by civil society, a report by an NGO said.

According to the report by the India Child Protection (ICP) research team which was released by child rights body the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), 59,364 child marriages were prevented with the help of panchayats in 2023-24.

The report said the Rajasthan High Court, in one of its judgments, held panchayats accountable for child marriage, which resulted in a significant decline in child marriage cases reported on Akshaya Tritiya.

"Across India, 161 civil society organisations in 265 districts throughout 17 states and Union Territories successfully prevented 14,137 child marriages in 2023-2024 by using legal interventions and prevented 59,364 child marriages with the help of panchayats," the report said.

The total number of child marriage cases registered during the last five years (3,863) is less than the number of girl child marriages taking place in a single day (4,442).

On average, only one case of child marriage per district was registered for prosecution in 2022.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that out of 63,513 children who were kidnapped or abducted and recovered in 2022, 15,748 (25 per cent) were kidnapped or abducted for the purpose of either 'marriage' or 'intercourse'. Of this, 15,142 children recovered in 2022 were kidnapped solely for the purpose of marriage.

In 2022, 13,981 cases were reported for the offence of kidnapping of minor girls to compel them for marriage, compared to 11,236 in 2020. This highlights a 24 per cent increase in the number of minor girls being kidnapped or abducted for the purpose of marriage during 2020-22.

In 2022, out of the total 3,563 child marriage cases listed for trial in courts under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, merely 181 cases were successfully concluded in terms of trial completion.

This "slow" disposal rate has resulted in a persistently high pendency rate, which stands at 92 per cent. Despite the fact that there are only 3,365 cases pending, with the current rate of disposal, the country may take 19 years to clear the backlogs as of 2022, it said.

The conviction rate in cases filed under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act is an area of concern, given its "disheartening" statistics. In 2022, merely 11 per cent of these cases resulted in convictions, contrasting sharply with the overall conviction rate of 34 per cent for all crimes committed against children in that year, the report said.

The ICP research team collected primary data from a sample of 1,132 random villages across 20 districts of Assam, encompassing a total population of 21 lakh and a child population of eight lakh.

The report said there was 81 per cent reduction in the instances of child marriage between 2021-22 and 2023-24. In absolute numbers, the incidents of child marriages in the study villages declined from 3,225 cases in 2021-22 to 627 cases in 2023-24.

In 30 per cent of the villages surveyed in Assam, child marriage has been completely eradicated. Additionally, 40 per cent of villages reported a significant decline in child marriages.

About 98 per cent of the respondents believed that the Assam government's strict law enforcement initiatives in 2023 had a substantial and striking influence on the reduction of child marriages within their communities.

The overwhelming majority of respondents acknowledged the effectiveness of stringent enforcement measures in curbing child marriages.

In 12 districts, out of 20, over 90 per cent of respondents believe that taking legal action such as arresting individuals and filing FIRs in cases related to child marriage can effectively address this issue.

Overall, the same percentage for all 20 districts stands at 72 per cent. This community validation reinforces the need for sustained and rigorous prosecution strategies to address and eliminate child marriage completely.

The report recommended fast track special courts to be created to clear the backlog of child marriage cases.

In situations where parents, guardians, or panchayats have provided an undertaking, the punishment should be doubled and treated as equivalent to criminal conspiracy for rape, it said.

A specific provision should be made for the rehabilitation of victims and survivors of child marriage, treating them on par with survivors of child sexual abuse, the report suggested.

A special scheme should be introduced focusing on skill development and economic stability for women who choose to leave child marriages and central portal run by the Ministry of Home Affairs to report child marriages with an urgent "Rapid Action Response Protocol", it recommended.