Case of sexual abuse is brushed under the carpet by making the victim's family sign an affidavit
PESHAWAR: The fact that sexual abuse is rampant in the country is no longer surprising. But what definitely is worth commenting upon is the fact that people have become more aware of its prevalence and are making efforts to report it. However, there is still a long way to go before we can collectively work towards eradicating it. It is because often even if people come out to report it, they are pressured into dropping the charges. One such case is of a 17-year-old hearing impaired girl. The teenager was sexually harassed and her own father was the eyewitness to this ordeal. Yet the landlords for whom the family used to work for and are in fact related to the accused, had made them sign an affidavit that stated that the girl’s father has forgiven the harasser.
According to the news report, the father was in fact unaware of what was written on the piece of paper and was pressured to sign it. This is a classic example of blatant abuse of power. The poor family was conned into signing the paper only because they were illiterate to even be able to read what was written. The police and the court should conduct a thorough probe into the matter and ensure justice for the hearing impaired teenager.
Rashida Tanoli
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2018.
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