New Delhi, Dec 19: For the first time, India has disposed of more child sexual abuse cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in a year than it registered, signalling a potential turning point in reducing judicial backlog, according to a new study.

In 2025, courts disposed of 87,754 POCSO cases against 80,320 new filings, resulting in a disposal rate of 109 per cent, the report titled “Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse” said. The study was conducted by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB) for Children, an initiative of India Child Protection.

The report noted that 24 states and Union Territories recorded disposal rates above 100 per cent, indicating that courts not only cleared cases registered during the year but also reduced pendency from previous years.

India’s backlog of POCSO cases stood at 2,62,089 in 2023. With disposals now exceeding registrations, the study said the system has reached a point where it could begin actively reducing pendency rather than merely managing it.

The report recommended the establishment of 600 additional e-POCSO courts to eliminate the entire backlog within four years. It estimated a requirement of ₹1,977 crore for the proposed courts over the period and suggested the Nirbhaya Fund could be used to support the initiative.

Despite the overall improvement, the study highlighted continuing challenges. Nearly half of the pending cases have remained unresolved for more than two years, and conviction rates continue to vary across states.

Uttar Pradesh accounts for 37 per cent of cases pending for more than five years, followed by Maharashtra at 24 per cent and West Bengal at 11 per cent. Together, the three states contribute nearly three-fourths of long-pending POCSO cases nationwide, the report said.

“India is now at a tipping point in its response to child sexual abuse,” said Purujit Praharaj, director (research) at India Child Protection. “When the system begins to dispose of more POCSO cases than it registers, it moves from intent to impact. Prolonged delays intensify trauma for child survivors, making it essential to sustain this momentum.”

Among states and Union Territories, seven recorded disposal rates above 150 per cent, seven between 121 and 150 per cent, and 10 between 100 and 120 per cent in 2025, the report said.

The study also found that pendency often accumulates early in the life cycle of cases, reflecting difficulties in moving them forward within expected time frames.

It recommended maintaining disposal rates above 100 per cent across all states, strengthening technical and administrative support for underperforming judiciaries, closely monitoring conviction and acquittal trends, and adopting AI-based legal research and document management tools to improve efficiency.

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The analysis is based on data available as of Dec. 2, 2025, drawn from the National Judicial Data Grid, the National Crime Records Bureau, and Lok Sabha questions and responses.