17-year-old girl gang-raped in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD:  

 

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped within the Sargodha Road police station precincts, Express News reported.

A police official said that the victim, A*, went to a market for shopping with her cousins. He added that while they were waiting for a rickshaw outside, three culprits, including accused Sher Ali and Ehsan Ilahi reached the spot in a car and allegedly abducted the girl. The accused took the victim to an undisclosed location and allegedly raped her.

The official maintained that later, the culprits sold the girl to Zahid who also allegedly sexually abused her.

He said that the girl managed to escape from the custody of the culprit and reached the police station.

Meanwhile, a case No 1162/18 was registered against the suspects on the complaint of the victim and raids were conducted to arrest them. Further investigations are under way.

In recent months, cases of sexual abuse have been on the rise across Punjab. Despite these incidents occurring on a daily basis, the government’s counter measures have been largely disappointing.

Most cases have been reported from Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala and other parts of the province. The victims include women and minor girls or boys.

A report issued by NGO Sahil revealed that the highest incidents of sexual abuse involving children were recorded in Punjab. Earlier, Sahil Executive Director Manizeh Bano said the sexual exploitation of women and children across Punjab had been reported over many years.

She added hundreds of rape cases had been identified, but only a few victims came forward to seek justice.

* Name withheld to protect identity