Vol. 1, Issue 11, Part K (2015)

Abstract
As we all know, crime means an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. Crime against children is a very sensitive type of crime. It can be defined as the offences committed against children or the crimes in which children are the victims. There are many types of crime against children, some of the serious crimes are murder, Foeticides, Infanticides, Rape, Kidnapping and Abduction and Selling minor girls for prostitution which are mention in the Indian penal code and the various protective and preventive special and local laws. The age of child varies as per the definition given in the concerned Acts and sections but age of child has been defined to be below 18 years as per The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. Therefore an offence committed on a victim under the age of 18 years is construed as crime against children. According to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) a total of 58,224 cases of crimes against children were reported in the country during 2013 as compared to 38,172 cases during 2012, showing an increase of 52.5%. Some IPC crimes have shown a substantial increase during 2013 as compared to 2012. These crimes were kidnapping & abduction (54.2%), procuration of minor girls (51.3%), abetment to suicide (49.3%) and rape (44.7%). The police have a central role in protecting children, preventing and investigating crime. The police also have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children in their care and custody at all the stages of the process. With the increasing rate of crime against children the police needs to give more importance in solving the crimes as protection of children is one of the main functions. In this background the present paper tries to study the role of police in the protection of child’s right and how far they are successful in solving the crime against children.