Robbers gang-rape two women in Defence

Suspects barged into a house for robbery bid

LAHORE:

Two women were allegedly been gang-raped during a robbery bid in Defence-C on Tuesday.

Reportedly, the victim N* had been living in a rented house with her two sisters and a friend. On the day of the incident, she was at home with her housemates when at midnight three suspected robbers barged into the house.

They made them hostage at gunpoint and looted valuables including three mobile phones and cash Rs45,000.

The suspects sexually assaulted two victims while the third suspect remained on guard. When the other residents of the house found an opportunity, they started crying for help.

It alerted the neighbours. A call was made to the police.

The neighbours came for help while the suspects attempted to run away. A fleeing suspect was arrested. He has been identified as Abid Ali, a resident of Pakpattan.

Police have registered a case against the suspects. Police have conducted medical examinations of the victims and were searching for the fleeing suspects.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and sought action, the report from CCPO Fayyaz Ahmad Dev.

In Punjab 212 cases of gang rape were registered in the first 10 months of 2021. Out of which only 33 have been cancelled. This is a horrific figure.

Fourth Gender Parity Report (2019 and 2020) launched recently by the Punjab Commission on Status of Women noted a rise of 15% in incidents of gang rape in Punjab in 2020.

The sexual violence’s against women’s intensity and frequency could be gauged from another fact that 3,675 cases of rape were registered in the first ten months of the ongoing year.

The suspects in 2,156 cases have been challenged and only 696 cases were cancelled.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2021.