Over 3,600 Children Abused in Pakistan in 2025: Sahil Report
News Desk
Islamabad: A report by Sahil, a leading child protection organization, has revealed a disturbing increase in child abuse and gender-based violence in Pakistan during 2025.
According to the report, 3,630 cases of child abuse were reported across 81 newspapers, covering all four provinces, as well as Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Of the victims, 1,924 (53%) were girls, 1,625 (47%) were boys, and 116 were newborns, indicating that more than nine children were abused daily last year.
The number of reported cases represents an 8% increase compared to 2024, with major crimes including 1,107 kidnappings, 596 sexual assaults, 522 rapes, 365 missing children cases, 195 attempted rapes, 141 attempted indecent assaults, 130 gang rapes, 108 gang rapes, 58 murders after sexual assault, and 53 child marriages.
Children aged 11-15 were identified as the highest-risk group, with boys slightly more vulnerable than girls.
Analysis of perpetrators shows that acquaintances remain the most common offenders in cases of child sexual abuse. Geographically, 73% of reported cases were from Punjab, followed by 21% in Sindh, 4% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2% in Balochistan, ICT, AJK, and GB combined. The report also noted that 82% of cases were registered with police, highlighting a proactive law enforcement response.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/862-cases-of-child-abuse-reported-in-first-half-of-2024-report/
On the issue of violence against women, Sahil recorded 7,071 cases nationwide in 2025, reflecting a 34% increase over the previous year. The reported incidents included 1,546 murders, 1,345 kidnappings, 1,169 torture cases, 877 rapes, 680 suicides, 449 injuries, 316 harassment cases, 284 honor killings, and 41 acid attacks. Some cases involved transgender individuals.
The report found that 32% of rapists were acquaintances, 18% strangers, 12% husbands, while 20% of cases did not specify the perpetrator. Provincially, 78% of gender-based violence cases were reported from Punjab, followed by 14% in Sindh, 6% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2% in Balochistan, ICT, AJK, and GB combined.
Sahil’s 2025 data underscores a worrying rise in both child abuse and violence against women, calling for strengthened preventive measures, stricter law enforcement, and heightened public awareness to protect vulnerable populations.
