Confronting Pakistan’s Child Abuse Epidemic

News Desk
Islamabad: In 2023, a total of 4,213 cases of child abuse were reported across four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), according to Sahil’s ‘Cruel Numbers 2023’ report.
Gender-wise, the reported cases indicate that 53 percent of the victims were girls (2,251 cases), while 47 percent were boys (1,962 cases).
On average, this translates to more than 11 children being abused per day throughout the year.
The reported cases encompass various forms of abuse, with the most prevalent being abduction (1,938 cases), followed by sodomy (562 cases), rape (415 cases), missing children (330 cases), attempted rape (307 cases), attempted sodomy (216 cases), gang sodomy (168 cases), gang rape (74 cases), murder after sexual abuse (61 cases), and 29 instances of child marriages.
The data underscores that acquaintances remain the primary perpetrators of child sexual abuse, as indicated by the abuser category.
In addition to sexual abuse, other forms of violence against children were also monitored.
Out of 2,184 cases involving children up to 18 years old, the highest incidence rates were recorded for drowning (694 cases), accidents resulting in death (401 cases), murder (286 cases), torture (121 cases), injury (111 cases), suicide (110 cases), and death from electric shocks (103 cases).
During discussions on responsible media reporting, Naseem Zehra, a senior journalist and political analyst, highlighted the importance of accurate and sensitive coverage.
Rabia Javeri Agha, Chairperson of the NCHR, and Aysha Raza, Chairperson of the NCRC, likely provided insights and recommendations on addressing and preventing child abuse through various initiatives and policies.

The Sahil report was launched on child sexual abuse cases reported in newspapers during 2023.

The purpose of the data is to provide facts and figures about child sexual abuse and its dynamics and to contribute to existing information.