Sahil, a non-government organisation working against child sexual abuse in Pakistan, has claimed that more than 10 children are being subjected to sexual assault per day in Pakistan.
According to a child sexual abuse report titled "cruel number" complied and launched by Sahil at Lahore Press Club on Tuesday, there are 3,832 children including 2094 girls and 1738 boys who were "reportedly" sexually abused in 2018 which suggested that over 10 children are being sexually abused per day in the country.
It says that 923 cases of abduction, 537 of rape, 589 of sodomy, 156 of gang-rape, 282 of gang sodomy and 552 of attempted assault were registered. Of them, 26 boys and 23 girls were murdered after committing sexual abuse. "There are more horrible incidents in which 10 boys and nine girls were murdered after gang sodomy and rape. 452 children found missing from their homes and 130 cases of early child marriage and 12 of cases of Vani were also registered.
The statistic shows that out of the total registered cases, there are 1787 cases in which the abusers had acquaintance with the victims or their families while the involvement of strangers was reported only in 410 cases," the report notes.
According to the statistics, the majority of the victims were from the age group of 6 to 10 years as authorities registered 701 cases in this particular group. "259 children including girls and boys were 1 to 5 years old, 586 were 11 to 15 years old and 128 were 16 to 18 years old, respectively. "There are 2,327 cases in which the age of the victims was not mentioned in newspapers," the report further notes.
"Around 468 children were abused at their own places, 886 at acquaintance's places, 18 children in "haveli", 46 children in madrasas (seminaries), 19 children at workplaces and 544 children in open places including fields, streets and jungle."
In Lahore, there were 148 incidents of child sexual abuse reported last year. 21 children were abducted and 38 reported missing in 2018. "This year reported cases under major categories with reference to Lahore are rape 22, sodomy 15, gang rape 10 and gang sodomy 7, respectively."
As per the countrywide "registered data", nearly 2,403 cases were reported in Punjab, followed by 1016 in Sindh, 98 in Balochistan, 145 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6 in Gilgit Baltistan, 34 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 130 in federal capital (Islamabad).
In 2018, around 3307 incidents were reported to police. Of them, police refused to register FIRs against 56 cases while 430 cases were reported in newspapers with incomplete information. Some 39 cases were also not reported to police.
The report in its recommendations called upon authorities concerned to launch an effective awareness campaign for the protection of children, introduce new legislation, where necessary, and ensure implementation of enforced enactments, establishment of a rehabilitation/support system for the victims, the protection messages should be included in curriculum besides introducing a "provincial plan of action against child sexual abuse and exploitation."
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