IT was on Ashura, Aug 19, 2021, when nine year-old Priya Kumari went missing. Just before her disappearance or abduction she had been happily helping her father a syncretic Hindu who runs a sabeel every year in Muharram in Sangrar, a small town near Sukkur serve sherbet to
Mrs Arshad’s son, Aalyan, was subjected to bullying at a private school when he was 14 years old. ‘My child was traumatised to the extent that he refused to go back to school, and for two years we have been homeschooling him,’ she reveals. He could not sleep
Laila* first met Adeel* at a fine dining restaurant along the coastline of Karachi city, after eight months of online dating on Instagram. She was then 20, he 21. The two talked for hours as the golden sun set, meeting the horizon of the sea. Laila described Adeel
Sahil’s annual report ‘Cruel Numbers 2023’ provides detailed analysis of child abuse cases reported in Pakistani media throughout the year. The report aims to document the scale of child sexual abuse (CSA) and other forms of violence against children to raise awareness and inform legal reform efforts. Key
Human trafficking in Pakistan is a severe and multifaceted problem that has affected countless individuals, particularly women and girls, coerced into exploitative labour or sexual servitude under the false pretences of better opportunities. The issue presents a dire humanitarian crisis, as it inflicts immeasurable suffering upon its victims
THE much-anticipated Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020 introduced chemical castration as punishment for rapists. In doing so, however, it missed the very critical point that rape is not merely a physical act, and that it is triggered by many serious social and psychological conditions. More stringent measures are required to
The study titled “Parent’s Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) Regarding Child Molestation Prevention: A Study of Child Molestation Cases in Pakistan” aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of parents in district Multan regarding child molestation prevention. The research was conducted through a cross-sectional survey involving 385
The report “Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse” is a collaborative effort by UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee. It offers comprehensive guidelines that outline a practical approach to assisting child survivors of sexual abuse, as well as their families, in their recovery and healing process. The
The “Federal Sexual Violence Response Framework” (FSVRF) is a comprehensive compendium that outlines primary, secondary, and tertiary responses to incidents of sexual violence. This unique framework provides concrete actions for relevant government functionaries and civil society organizations, covering prevention, victim protection, prosecution of sexual offenses, and victim rehabilitation.
Rape remains a persistent problem in Punjab, with an upward trend in reported cases between 2015 and 2016. However, despite increased reporting, conviction rates remain low, with nearly 96% of accused individuals being acquitted in 2016 and 2017. This study aims to identify the challenges faced by victims/complainants
Sahil’s ‘Cruel Numbers Report 2022’ compiles statistics on child abuse cases in Pakistan. From January to December 2022, data was collected from 81 national and regional newspapers to track incidents of Child Sexual Abuse, Abduction, Missing Children, and Child Marriages. The report reveals that a total of 4253
Child sexual abuse is prevalent worldwide. Several studies have been conducted to identify the traits common to those who perpetrate it, but results indicate that the latter come from all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, gender, religions and literacy levels. While some may have a condition called paedophilia, which is