The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has recorded an increase in cases related to children in conflict with the law and domestic violence (DV) in the first half of 2025, while most other crimes show a declining trend.
According to RBP’s mid-year statistics, a total of 106 cases involving children in conflict with the law were registered by June. The highest was reported in the Narcotic Drugs and Other Vices Division (NDOVD) with 40 cases, followed by 15 in Gelephu, 13 in Central Thimphu, and 8 in South Thimphu.
Domestic violence cases reached 358 nationwide, with North Thimphu and Phuentsholing recording the highest at 47 cases each. South Thimphu reported 40, while Central Thimphu and Gelephu registered 35 each. Wangdue followed with 23 cases.
Deputy Chief of Police, Dasho Passang Dorji, attributed the rise in DV cases not to worsening violence but to improved reporting. “The increase is mainly because of sensitization programs by RBP urging grassroots communities not to endure violence in silence but to report it,” he says.
While reporting of DV and child-related cases increased, other crimes showed a noticeable decline. Cases of Lhakhang and chorten vandalism, deceptive practices, and sexual offences have all dropped, with 55 sexual offence cases reported so far.
Drug-related offences, once a major concern, also declined with 819 cases registered by June, fewer than in 2024 and 2023. Cybercrime cases were down to 67, while suicide cases stood at 51.
Despite the overall decrease, RBP shared that battery, physical abuse, larceny, and burglary remain the most dominant and consistent crimes across the country.
DCOP said the trends reflect both stronger enforcement and the impact of nationwide awareness campaigns, which are shifting crime reporting patterns and community responses.
