Kerala Crime Against Women & Children — September 2026 Monthly Analysis
During September 2026, SHE Report’s Kerala coverage documented a wide range of incidents involving women and children, including sexual offences against minors, sexual harassment and assault, domestic and family-related violence, physical attacks, suspicious and violent deaths, technology-facilitated abuse, threats and exploitation, and crimes affecting elderly women. The reported incidents occurred in homes, schools, healthcare settings, workplaces, public transport, public spaces and online environments. Police arrests, case registrations, investigations, convictions and court proceedings were reported throughout the month.
During the reporting period (01–30 September 2026), Kerala-related reports included multiple POCSO and minor sexual-abuse cases, sexual assault and harassment of women, domestic violence and attacks by husbands or relatives, violent and suspicious deaths, assaults in public and institutional settings, cyber-enabled abuse involving morphed and private images, and cases involving elderly women. Court proceedings and police action formed a substantial part of the month’s coverage.
A significant pattern during September was the continued reporting of sexual offences involving children and adolescents. The month began with a POCSO case involving an Excise preventive officer in Kottayam and a case concerning the alleged sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl in Kannur. A madrassa teacher in Kannur was arrested over allegations of repeatedly sexually abusing a minor student. Other reports included an alleged sexual-abuse case involving a schoolgirl in Pathanamthitta, a POCSO case involving a 16-year-old girl in Wayanad, a case involving a 16-year-old girl in Kollam, and an allegation involving a 15-year-old girl in Thrissur that resulted in the arrest of a social-media influencer. In Thiruvananthapuram, three minor students were taken into police custody following a complaint involving a Class 9 girl. The Kerala High Court also considered a case concerning sexual relations with a girl below 18 and a separate case involving a wife who was allegedly sexually assaulted when she was 17.
Domestic and family-related violence remained a recurring concern. Reports included the alleged stabbing of a woman by her husband in Wandoor, an alleged attack on a wife with boiling rice water in Malappuram, and a woman in Parassala who was seriously injured after her husband allegedly attacked her with a knife. In Palakkad, a woman was allegedly strangled following a domestic dispute. In Ernakulam, a woman was seriously injured after her husband allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire. Another report concerned a woman and her fiancé in Kannur who alleged that the woman’s former partner and members of his family assaulted them. A man was also arrested in Kollam after footage allegedly showed him assaulting his elderly mother.
Sexual harassment and assault were reported across public transport, workplaces, healthcare facilities and public spaces. A woman alleged sexual assault while travelling on a KSRTC bus between Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. In Kozhikode, an Uber driver was arrested after a woman alleged sexual assault during a taxi journey. A Travelling Ticket Examiner was arrested following a complaint of sexual harassment by a woman passenger on a train. In Idukki, two men were arrested after a woman alleged sexual assault at a private resort. A physiotherapist in Kannur was arrested following an allegation of inappropriate touching during treatment. In Palakkad, a lawyer received anticipatory bail in a case involving an allegation of sexual harassment of a woman advocate. A woman in Varkala was also allegedly attacked while walking toward a temple.
Technology-facilitated abuse continued to be an important concern. In Kochi, police investigated allegations that photographs of female teachers and students had been morphed into obscene images. The investigation later identified several Telegram groups allegedly connected with the circulation of such images. Kerala Police also announced plans for a special drive against cybercrime involving the morphing and circulation of obscene photographs and videos. In Kasaragod, a caregiver was booked after a young mother allegedly discovered that private photographs and videos had been taken and shared. Another case involved a 19-year-old woman in Ernakulam who alleged that a man she met through a dating application sexually assaulted her, secretly recorded the encounter and threatened to release the private footage. A social-media influencer was also arrested in Kozhikode following allegations involving abusive and humiliating content targeting women and children.
September also included several serious cases involving deaths and extreme physical violence. In Palakkad, police investigated the alleged killing of a woman and her five-year-old daughter after their dismembered remains were recovered from sacks near the Bhavani River. In Thiruvananthapuram, a 65-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed to death, and her grandson was arrested and remanded. In Ernakulam, a 63-year-old woman was found burnt to death at her home. A 36-year-old woman was found dead in a rented home in Angamaly, with police investigating suspected foul play. In Malappuram, a woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband. September also included an acid-attack case in Alappuzha in which a man was sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
Elderly women appeared in several September reports involving violence and property-related offences. A 78-year-old woman in Kollam was allegedly robbed of her gold chain near a temple. In Chavara, police arrested a man after footage allegedly showed him assaulting his elderly mother. A 65-year-old woman in Thiruvananthapuram was allegedly stabbed to death by her grandson. These reports show that older women were also represented among those affected by physical violence and property-related offences during the month.
The month also included cases involving exploitation, coercion and abuse in vulnerable circumstances. In Pathanamthitta, four people were convicted and sentenced in a case involving a woman who had been taken to Kuwait on the promise of employment and was allegedly confined and sexually assaulted there. In Thiruvananthapuram, a woman complained that she had been sexually exploited and financially abused by an Alappuzha-based businessman. In Kozhikode, a newly married woman alleged that a self-styled healer sexually assaulted her after she and her husband approached him. Another case involved a woman with a mental disability who alleged sexual assault after being taken to a lodge in Koyilandy.
Police and judicial action featured prominently throughout September. Police arrested or booked accused persons in POCSO cases, sexual-assault complaints, domestic-violence cases, cybercrime investigations and assault cases. Courts delivered significant sentences, including 47 years in a Wayanad minor sexual-assault case and 25 years in Idukki and Wayanad cases. The Kerala High Court also dealt with proceedings concerning POCSO protection for minors within marriage and an allegation of sexual harassment of a woman advocate. These developments demonstrate that September’s coverage included both newly reported incidents and continuing judicial proceedings arising from earlier cases.
Key findings