Sexual abuse of boys: 62 POCSO cases recorded in Telangana in nine months

A four-year-old boy from Chandanagar told his father that a security guard at his school had sexually assaulted him. In another case, a 10-year-old boy spoke about repeated sexual assault by a neighbour-cum-relative only after he experienced pain and bleeding. Both cases ended in convictions this year.

Data shared by the Women Safety Wing of the Telangana Police show a rise in the number of boys recorded as victims under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Only four male child victims were recorded in 2024. The number rose to 61 in 2025, while 62 were recorded between January and September 2026, already exceeding the figure for the whole of last year.

In all, 127 male child victims were recorded between 2024 and September 2026. Hyderabad accounted for 24 of the 61 victims in 2025, followed by Khammam with 13. In the first nine months of 2026, Mahabubabad recorded the highest number at nine. Mirchowk, Shamshabad and Medchal Malkajgiri recorded seven each, while Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Nirmal and Warangal recorded three each.

Officials say the rise in recorded cases need not necessarily mean a similar increase in the incidence of sexual assault. Greater awareness, identification and reporting could also be bringing more cases into the system.

At the same time, they say many cases involving boys never reach the police. Families are sometimes reluctant to report sexual abuse because of stigma and concerns over “family prestige”. Boys too may hesitate to speak about what happened, particularly when the accused is someone they know.

In the Chandanagar case, the accused was a 30-year-old security guard at the child’s school in Nallagandla. According to officials, he took the four-year-old to an audio-visual room in February 2024 and sexually assaulted him. The child later told his father.

A special POCSO Court convicted the security guard in July this year and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. The court also awarded ₹1 lakh as compensation to the child.

The second case was registered by Kamatipura Police in December 2023. A 10-year-old boy was repeatedly subjected to penetrative sexual assault by a 29-year-old neighbour-cum-relative, who called him to his house on the pretext of watching television and threatened him against speaking about the abuse.

The boy eventually told his father after experiencing pain and bleeding. In April this year, a special POCSO court convicted the accused and sentenced him to 25 years’ rigorous imprisonment. The court also recommended ₹75,000 as compensation for the child’s immediate, medical and educational needs.

In both cases, it was the children speaking to their parents that brought the abuse to light. Officials say many boys, however, remain silent, leaving their abuse outside police records.