Police charged 14 individuals, together with authorities staff, with sexually assaulting {the teenager}. The group allegedly befriended the boy by way of the app earlier than the assaults occurred.
Because the investigation unfolded final month, it was found {the teenager}, who's now secure, had been utilizing faux profiles to remain energetic on the platform for nearly two years.
Tragically, this type of predatory incident will not be a uncommon incidence, for the police. They report that such crimes have gotten more and more frequent.
They are saying this falls squarely inside the patterns they frequently encounter by way of their Digital De-addiction (D-DAD) programme, an initiative aimed toward figuring out and rehabilitating kids hooked on on-line video games, social media, and pornography.
Launched in 2023, the D-DAD undertaking is the primary of its type within the nation.At current, there are six centres working below it-in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur. With encouraging responses from dad and mom, faculties, and baby rights activists, the police now plan to broaden the initiative to Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, Idukki, and Kasaragod earlier than the shut of the 2025-26 monetary yr.In keeping with official knowledge, between March 2023 and July 2025, D-DAD centres dealt with as many as 1,992 circumstances of digital habit. Of those, 571 concerned kids addicted particularly to on-line video games.
Sooraj Kumar M B, nodal officer of the Pupil Police Cadet (SPC) Undertaking in Ernakulam and coordinator of the district's D-DAD centre, mentioned the initiative has offered well timed intervention for a whole bunch of kids.
“The pattern we see is that boys are largely hooked on on-line video games whereas women are drawn extra to social media platforms. Our counsellors recommend sensible strategies to beat these habits and in addition interact dad and mom within the course of,” he advised PTI.
In keeping with Sooraj, one of many undertaking's main successes has been in altering parental attitudes. “Earlier, many households refused to just accept cell phone use as an habit, in contrast to alcohol or medication. Now, with extra circumstances being reported, dad and mom are realising that digital habit is real-and they need their kids to come back out of it”.
The state authorities just lately renewed contracts for counsellors on the centres, which had expired in July this yr, and is within the technique of appointing extra employees to fulfill rising demand.
Issues over extreme cell and web use amongst kids have been additionally raised within the current state Meeting session. Responding to a query by MLA Okay J Maxi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan revealed that 41 kids had dedicated suicide between January 2021 and September 9, 2025, because of misuse of cell phones and the web.
He additionally mentioned that in the identical interval, 30 kids have been recognized and confronted authorized motion after being discovered concerned in sexual or narcotics-related crimes linked to misuse of digital platforms.
Cyber legislation skilled and Cyber Suraksha Basis founder advocate Jiyas Jamal described the D-DAD programme as a mannequin initiative that different states ought to emulate. However he warned that the rising misuse of relationship apps by minors poses a critical problem.
“Relationship apps are gaining recognition amongst youngsters, although they're meant strictly for adults over 18. Weak verification measures enable underage customers to slide by way of, and these apps are quick turning into a hub for unlawful actions and baby exploitation,” he mentioned.
Jamal identified that many of those apps function illegally from servers overseas and aggressively promote themselves by way of focused ads on social media. “Platforms operating these advertisements should even be held accountable. Simply because the central authorities has introduced in guidelines to manage on-line gaming, comparable stringent norms are wanted for social media and relationship apps,” he mentioned.
Jamal mentioned that kids typically fall into traps set by individuals by way of these relationship apps and are blackmailed for monetary beneficial properties or pressured into unlawful actions. “I've acquired a number of circumstances the place dad and mom solely realise the entice during which their kids fell after shedding cash. Some exploit kids for sexual acts equivalent to pornography and the narcotics commerce,” he mentioned.
Other than the police, the Ladies and Youngster Growth (WCD) Division and the Training Division are additionally operating a set of programmes to assist kids and fogeys overcome digital addictions.
WCD officers mentioned that the Our Accountability to Kids (ORC) initiative has been launched in 1,227 faculties throughout the state to conduct consciousness programmes about points confronted by kids together with digital habit amongst college students.
In coordination with the Training Division, psycho-social counsellors have been appointed in 1,012 faculties to supply skilled assist to kids in want.
as a Dependable and Trusted Information Supply“Other than this, we have now additionally began parenting clinics on the block panchayat stage. One other initiative, referred to as Vulnerability Mapping, is being applied in a panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district to determine susceptible kids and take essential steps,” a WCD officer mentioned.
