Study reveals rising cases of online sexual exploitation of children in Karnataka
BENGALURU: According to a state-level study conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) in collaboration with Child Fund India a growing number of children in Karnataka are becoming vulnerable to online sexual exploitation and abuse, while most parents, teachers and even government officials remain ill-equipped to address or prevent such risks. The study released on Friday, shows growing concerns over children’s online safety, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic which saw increased unsupervised internet usage.
The report was made public by Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council. It included 903 students in the districts of Bengaluru, Chamarajanagar, Raichur, Chikkamagaluru and Belagavi who were enrolled in school and between the ages of 8 and 18. The study employed multi-stage random sampling with six schools from each district, with 30 students from each school participating, representing three age groups: 8–11, 12–14, and 15–18 years.
The findings indicate that with approximately 10% (17% of boys and 4% of girls) having met those strangers in person, one in six teenagers reported having interacted with strangers online in the past year. Children from rural areas (12%) were slightly more likely than their urban counterparts (9%) to meet strangers offline. The report also revealed that 1% of children admitted to sharing intimate photos or videos with online strangers, while 7% disclosed personal information such as full names, phone numbers, addresses, personal photographs, and videos.
Teenagers aged 15 to 18 were identified as the most vulnerable group to unsafe online interactions. About 5% within this age bracket reported feeling unsafe or embarrassed due to their online experiences, with Instagram accounting for 77% of these incidents. While in 53% of the cases, the perpetrator was a stranger, 35% involved known individuals and 12% involved both. Only 34% of parents took formal action like approaching law enforcement despite these alarming statistics. The majority chose instead to block offenders or delete conversations without reporting the incidents.
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Five held in double murder case in K'taka, mastermind shot at during escape bid
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Vijayapura (PTI): Five people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with a double murder case, including the alleged mastermind Akshay Juljule, who was shot in the leg while allegedly trying to escape from police custody.
Speaking to reporters, Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi said, “When the police went to arrest, Juljule tried to flee the spot in a bike. The police first fired in the air, and when the accused attempted to flee, he was shot in the leg.”
Juljule, against whom three cases have been registered, has been taken to the hospital for treatment.
Two policemen were also injured during the operation and admitted to the hospital.
The double murder occurred on Sunday in Kannur village of Vijayapura taluk. The victims were identified as Sagar Belundagi (25) and Isahak Khureshi (24). They were allegedly stoned to death by a group of assailants.
According to police, the killings were an act of revenge.
SP Nimbargi said, “The accused murdered Sagar and Isahak due to this old enmity.”
Those arrested have been identified as Muthana Gowda, Santosh, Sanjay, Bharat, and Akshay. A case of murder has been registered at the Vijayapura Rural Police Station.
Further investigation is underway.
