Six-year-old raped by neighbour in Barbar village

10% increase in rape cases was witnessed in 2015

PESHAWAR: A six-year-old minor was raped by one of his neighbours in Barbar village, Chargar Matti within the jurisdiction of Mathra police station on Saturday. This is the third such case reported from the district in 2016.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Mathra SHO Muhammad Sher said the six-year-old came home crying. His mother realised he had been sexually abused.



“The child recognised the accused as 15-year-old Raheem Shah, who lived in the neighbourhood,” he said. “The father of the victim approached the police and filed an FIR against the accused.”

According to the official, the police tried to raid the house of the accused but it was locked.

He said, “The boy and his parents managed to escape after the incident. We are trying to arrest the accused. The boy has been referred to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.”

Cycle of abuse

When contacted, child rights activist Imran Takkar told The Express Tribune, “It is unfortunate that children are not protected in our society. This is the reason such cases are frequently reported.”

He added, “If a child or an adult is raped, their families do not disclose it to save their honour. When such cases occur, the victims need psychological counseling and rehabilitation. However, the government is not paying attention to it.”



Worrying statistics

Speaking to The Express Tribune, NGO Sahil Programme Officer Mumtaz said they regularly monitor the newspapers to collect data on sexual abuse. He added that in 2014, around 3,508 rape cases were reported in Pakistan.

“There are an estimated 1,000 rape and sodomy cases in which children are victims,” Mumtaz said.

“In 2015, there was an estimated 10% increase in such cases, which clearly shows that sexual abuse has been on the rise.” According to the programme officer, the data was based on cases that were reported in media.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2016.