Child rape: Missing seven-year-old’s mutilated body found in fields

Masooma was abducted 3 days ago, her body has been sent for an autopsy.


Tariq Ismaeel July 12, 2011

DERA GHAZI KHAN:


A seven-year-old girl’s mutilated body was discovered in a field in Dera Ghazi Khan on Tuesday evening.


According to police officials, Thana Darham resident Abdul Ghafoor’s  daughter Masooma was kidnapped from his house three days ago. The child’s body was found discovered by Noorani village landlord Ramzan Sanghi in his fields. “I was walking in the fields when I chanced upon the body and I immediately called the police,” he said.

Police officials said that the body bore marks of severe torture. “The girl was raped, strangled and acid was thrown on her face. She was barely recognisable,” said District Police Officer (DPO) Malik Tassadaq Hayat. Following, the discovery of the body, dozens of village residents protested outside the Dera Ghazi Khan police station. The protesters said that the child had been missing for three days but police officials did not send a search party in time.

According to Ghafoor, his daughter was playing outside when she suddenly went missing. “We waited for several hours before going out to look for her but she was gone,” he said.

Police officials said that when they examined the body they saw that the child had been strangled to death. “A noose was still tied around her neck when we found her. We have sent the body for an autopsy but the doctors have already confirmed the child was raped,” the DPO said.

DPO Hayat has ordered the Drahma station house officer (SHO) to start an immediate investigation into the incident.

“We are still waiting on DNA sampling following the autopsy report but at the moment there are no leads into the suspect.

The child’s face was mutilated beyond recognition, presumably because the rapist wanted to make it harder to identify her,” the SHO said.

DHQ Hospital medical superintendent Nadeem Pervaiz said that an initial examination of the body revealed that Masooma had been raped and strangled.

“We have sent DNA samples but because of the time that has lapsed since the incident we are unsure we will receive any definitive results,” he told reporters. Sanghi said “When I found the girl’s body it was clear that the body had been lying there for some time. The heat had already caused decomposition but I hope the police can identify the criminal who did this.”

Ghafoor and his family said that they had no idea who could have attacked their child. “She is seven years old. We have no idea who could have taken her. She was adored by everyone in the village and we have no enemies,” he said.

Police officials have registered a case and have started an investigation into the incident.

*The name of the victim has been changed to protect her identity

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2011.

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