Juvenile Crimes (img: Envato Elements)

Despite repeated efforts being made in the country to channelise the youth, statistics says the system has been a massive failure. Case in point: spike in juvenile crimes in the country.

As the horrendous Nirbhaya gang rape nears eleven years, another Delhi juvenile crime horror poses several question marks over the law involving juvenile convicts.

Revelations in NCRB data

The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), which collects and analyses crime data in the country, released its latest report for the year 2021, showing an alarming spike in juvenile crimes in the country.

Approximately 30,000 cases were registered against juveniles in the year, while 37,444 were nabbed in these cases. Nine out of ten of the arrested were proven guilty in these cases.

Every day, an average of 85 cases were registered against juveniles, while more than 100 were held in these cases.

In a shocker, out of the total convicts, 31,756 lived with their parents, 3,496 lived  with a guardian, while 2,191 were homeless.

The most cases registered, 89.80%, are of murder.

Interlinks of guns, games, and drugs

According to a study conducted in 2016 by the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, the psychiatry department of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, and the Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute (PSRI), drugs and substance abuse are the primary causes of violent tendencies in youngsters.

This study, conducted over more than 500 juvenile prisoners, revealed that more than 87% of them were addicts.

Meanwhile, psychotropic drug consumption was common among convicts of serious crimes like rape and murder.

The study also revealed that youngsters and children engaged in online games involving gun violence show signs of violent tendencies.

An American medical journal, JAMA Network Open, conducted a study in 2019 on 220 children, which revealed that those engaged in games involving gun violence have a higher tendency to use a firearm.

Juvenile justice system in play

After the Nirbhaya gang rape case of Dec 2012, which involved a juvenile amongst the other accused, an amendment was made to the Juvenile Justice act, 2000. It included that a person aged 16 or above shall be tried and treated as an adult for heinous crimes.

In a recent case on Nov 21, a young boy was stabbed to death by a 16-year-old boy in Janta Mazdoor colony in northeast Delhi’s Welcome area at around 11.15 p.m.

“Reason behind murder was robbery. The boy first choked the victim, and when he fell unconscious, the accused stabbed him multiple times before robbing him of his money, about ₹350,” said the deputy commissioner of police (DCP).

The disturbing scene concludes with the assailant standing over the lifeless body and engaging in a macabre dance, all documented on camera.

The boy was caught when he was having biryani at a stall not far from the crime scene, an officer privy to the probe was quoted by agencies on Nov 23.

(With inputs from IANS)

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