ISLAMABAD (October 13 2006): When the political wrangling over controversial Hudood laws between moderates and conservatives goes on in and out of the parliament, more than 200 innocent girls were gang raped in first half of this year. The child sexual abuse rate in Pakistan has gone up to six children a day, as nearly 1,164 children were sexually abused across the country. According to a report compiled by a non-governmental organisation – Sahil, nearly 1,164 children were sexually abused from January to June this year. The research says that incidents of child sexual abuse took place even in seminaries, mosques, jails and schools where abusers were moulvis, policemen and some times teachers.
The break up analysis of gender shows that sexual abuse of girls is more than boys. Out of a total of 1,164 cases, 849 (73 percent) are girls victims whereas 315 (27 percent) were boys. There is a high rate of abduction of girls with intent of rape ie, 401 (47 percent) out of total 849 cases. The next highest crime category for girls is rape and gang rape where 213 (25 percent) cases have been recorded. The highest category of crime for boys is sodomy where 79 (25 percent) cases were reported out of a total of 315 followed by gang sodomy and molestation that includes 100 (31 percent) cases. According to the report, children fell victim to 2,057 abusers in different categories. It was found that more than 50 percent of abusers were acquaintances in 1,380 cases, 15 percent were abused by strangers and approximately five percent by female abettors. A combined percentage of abusers like neighbours, relatives and members from the immediate family were nearly seven percent. Other categories of abusers were police, moulvis, teacher, landlord, robbers, servant, shopkeeper, doctor, peer, soldier, child trafficker, prisoner and roommate friends.
Findings of the cases taking place in urban and rural areas shows that 71 percent cases were reported from rural areas while 29 percent were reported from urban areas. The data shows that Punjab has the highest number of cases – 789 (68 percent) out of 1,164, followed by Sindh with 276 (23 percent) cases, federally administered areas 68 (5.1 percent), NWFP 21 (2.07 percent) and Balochistan with 10 (0.50 percent) cases of child sexual abuse. The most vulnerable age group of victims are girls between 1-15 years in which 159 (18 percent) out of 849 cases are reported. Whereas among boys, the most vulnerable age group is between 6-10 years which covers 100 out of 315 (31 percent) cases. The age group of about 45 percent of the cases has not been mentioned while reporting. When the government is campaigning to amend controversial Hudood laws, there is a dire need to make legislation to ensure children protection. The alarming number of cases demand of the government to enforce Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) while there should be effective strategies to give awareness to the general public about this heinous crime.
Source: The Nation
Date:10/13/2006
