THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rape cases, considered to be one of the most under-reported crimes, have doubled in the State in the past six years and children form majority of the victims.

If the provisional statistics by the State Crime Records Bureau is to be believed, 1,283 rape cases were reported in 2014. Of this, a whopping 709 cases involved rape of minors.

This is a sharp jump from a total of 568 rape cases reported in 2008 and the 1,132 cases reported in 2013. Thiruvananthapuram rural retained its dubious distinction of being the rape capital with 120 cases registered in 2014, the highest among 19 police districts of the state.

Trailing right behind is Malappuram with 101 cases. Ernakulam city had 60 cases reported whereas 56 cases were registered in Thiruvananthapuram city and 33 in Kozhikode city.

While the cases being reported in the country have increased only after Delhi gang rape incident in 2012, the transition has happened in Kerala a year before itself.

Every year, an estimated additional hundred rape cases were being registered compared to the previous year. However, in the year 2011, 1,132 rape cases where registered compared to 634 in 2010.

Top police officials say the influx in cases is due to an increased awareness by which victims and relatives respond against attackers. However, rape still remains to be under reported due to the taboos attached to it.

The literate state of Kerala has also seen 19 dowry deaths in 2014, of which the highest number of five each have taken place in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad districts respectively.