Police seek to build trust with child victims in India's Rajasthan

Specially trained officers at police stations in Rajasthan have been deployed to engage compassionately wth children in order to understand their difficult situations. © Ritu Bhardwa

In many parts of the western Indian state of Rajasthan, child labour is prevalent, with those forced to do menial jobs often victims of trafficking. Handling rescued children is a sensitive process that requires special skills – something the police are looking to improve on.

Rajasthan ranks seventh in India in crimes against children reported between 2018 and 2020. According to the ministry of women and child development, more than 19,000 incidents of crimes against minors were reported during that period.