India marks first-ever milestone by clearing more child sexual abuse cases than filed

In a first, more child sexual abuse cases in a year were disposed of than registered in India, marking a tipping point in tackling the long-standing judicial backlog under the Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse (POCSO) Act, as per a latest report.

The report, titled ‘Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse’, by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB) for Children, an initiative of India Child Protection, courts across the country disposed of 87,754 POCSO cases in 2025 against 80,320 new registrations. This pushed the national disposal rate to 109%.

The report notes that 24 States and Union Territories recorded disposal rates above 100%, enabling them to clear not only fresh cases but also a portion of older pending matters. Seven States and Union Territories achieved disposal rates exceeding 150%, while another seven recorded rates between 121 and 150%. Ten States posted rates in the range of 100 to 120%.

Despite the progress, the report flags persistent structural concerns. India’s POCSO backlog stood at 2,62,089 cases until 2023, and nearly half of all pending cases continue to remain unresolved for more than two years. Conviction rates show wide fluctuations, and sharp inter-State disparities remain entrenched.

Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 37% of all POCSO cases pending for more than five years, making it the largest contributor to long-term pendency. Maharashtra follows with 24% and West Bengal with 11%. Together, these three States account for nearly three-fourths of cases that have remained unresolved for over five years.

These figures reflect cases that entered the system several years ago but have not seen meaningful progress, the report observes, adding that delays tend to accumulate early in the lifecycle of a case, making timely resolution increasingly difficult.

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To eliminate the entire backlog within four years, the report recommends setting up 600 additional e-POCSO courts across the country. It estimates that an allocation of ₹1,977 crore over four years would be required and suggests that the Nirbhaya Fund could be utilised for this purpose.

Purujit Praharaj, Director (Research) at India Child Protection, said the findings signal a shift from intent to impact. “India is now at a tipping point in its response to child sexual abuse. When the system begins to dispose of more POCSO cases than it registers, it starts reducing pendency rather than carrying it forward. Prolonged delays intensify trauma for child survivors, and sustaining this momentum is essential if timely, child-centred justice is to become the norm,” he said.

India Child Protection is a partner of Just Rights for Children, a nationwide network of more than 250 non-governmental organisations working across 451 districts on child protection and child rights.

The analysis is based on data drawn from the National Judicial Data Grid, the National Crime Records Bureau and responses to Lok Sabha questions, as available up to 2 December 2025.