LUCKNOW, May 8 -- More than 97% of the accused booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 were known to their victims, according to the latest 'Crime in India 2024' report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Wednesday.

The NCRB findings underline a disturbing trend in child sexual abuse cases across the state - the threat is emerging largely from within familiar social and family circles rather than from strangers.

According to the NCRB report, Uttar Pradesh recorded 3,671 Pocso cases in 2024 in which offender details were analysed. Of these, 3,581 cases involved offenders known to the child victim, accounting for 97.5% of the total. Only 90 cases involved uniden...