Kerala: Shocking report reveals 115 children kidnapped till September this year and 18 killed

Thiruvananthapuram: The abduction of six-year-old girl Abigail Sara Reji sent shockwaves across Kerala. An extensive search by the police force was conducted inside and outside Kollam district for the child. Finally, on Tuesday (Nov 28), the child was abandoned by the kidnappers at Ashramam Maidanam in Kollam at around 1.30 pm. However, it is pertinent to note that this is not the first kidnapping case in Kerala this year. According to data from Kerala's State Crime Records Bureau, as many as 115 children have gone missing from Kerala till September alone. 

According to SCRB data, 157 children were abducted in the state in 2016. 184 children were abducted in 2017, 205 children in 2018 and 280 children in 2019. 200 children were kidnapped in 2020. In 2021, a case was also registered for the kidnapping of 257 children. According to this estimate, 269 children were abducted in 2022. However, the SCRB has not released information about what action was taken in these cases and whether all the children were recovered.

The SCRB is only responsible for registering FIRs and recording the number of investigating cases of child abduction. 

Statistics also show that, as of September of this year alone, 18 children were killed in the state. What conditions led to this incident is unclear. Between 2016 and 2022, there have been numerous instances of child fatalities. With 41, 2021 had the highest number of children killed. Prior to that, in 2016, 33 children were killed. In 2020, 29 children were killed. In 2017 and 2018, there were 28 child deaths per year. Data from the SCRB indicates that 25 children died in 2019.

This information is published on the website of the State Crime Records Bureau.

• kidnapping cases in Kerala
• State Crime Record Bureau