712 POCSO cases in 4 years leave parents of girl children worried
Mysuru: Increasing number of sexual harassment cases involving schoolgirls has raised serious concerns among parents over the safety of their children in educational institutions.
Whether driven by the influence of social media, parental negligence or lapses on the part of school management, incidents of sexual abuse involving minor girls are on the rise, casting a shadow over society.
In a recent incident at a private school in Vijayanagar, a man who had befriended a girl student through a social media platform allegedly sexually abused three schoolgirls. It is learnt that the girls had been sent to meet him by a teacher, raising serious questions about the safety and supervision of students in schools.
The Supreme Court has held that school management is responsible for ensuring the safety of students not only within school premises but also from the time they board school transport until they return home. However, recurring incidents of sexual abuse have left parents questioning whether schools are adequately implementing the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Mysuru district, including Mysuru city, has 3,466 schools, comprising 2,098 Government and aided institutions and 1,368 private schools. Despite the presence of over 21,000 teachers, support staff and CCTV surveillance, incidents of sexual harassment continue to be reported, causing concern among parents and educationists.
A total of 712 POCSO cases involving sexual assault and harassment of minor girls have been registered in Mysuru district over the past four years.
The Mysuru district recorded 216 cases in 2023, 179 in 2024 and 202 in 2025, while 115 cases have been registered so far this year.
Safety norms to be tightened
Deputy Director of Public Instructions (DDPI) Uday Kumar told Star of Mysore that, apart from directing schools to strictly implement the POCSO Act, inspection teams, comprising the Cluster Resource Officer (CRO), Block Resource Person (BRP) and Block Education Officer (BEO), would visit Government, aided and private schools to review safety measures.
In view of the increasing number of such cases, safety protocols in schools will be strengthened further, he said.
“Ensuring the safety of girl students is not a one-day exercise but a continuous responsibility. Parents, too, must remain vigilant by monitoring their children’s social media activity, behaviour and the company they keep,” he said.
Legal action to be taken
He added that legal action would be initiated against school managements and teachers if such incidents occurred on school premises.
Uday Kumar also said, school management bodies must conduct meetings with parents, guardians and drivers of vehicles ferrying children to schools to create awareness about child safety.
Officials have been instructed to visit every Government, aided and private school in the district to assess safety measures, he added.
District Child Protection Officer P.S. Asha said, every reported case is acted upon immediately by the Child Protection Unit. She urged both school managements and parents to remain vigilant and work together to ensure children’s safety.
This post was published on July 16, 2026 7:30 pm