Sex crimes on the rise in provincial capital

Police high ups review Gender-based Violence Cell’s performance

LAHORE:

A large number of sexual assaults were reported in the provincial capital during the last week, prompting the police to review the overall performance of the Gender-Based Violence Cell.

On June 12, a man allegedly filmed and blackmailed an 11-year-old girl after an attempted rape in Liaqatabad.

The victim, a student went to a shop to buy books on June 5, when the suspect, who owned the shop, lured her to a secluded location where he allegedly attempted to rape the victim. He allegedly filmed the incident and after showing the video, demanded her to keep silent.

A week later, the suspect asked the girl to come back to the shop on Sunday, but the victim instead confided in her parents about the incident. They reported it to the police, who arrested the suspect and registered a case against him on Sunday.

On Saturday, a religious studies teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old child in Ghaziabad. The suspect Hayyat was a madrassah teacher. When a 13-year-old child attended the madrassa, Hayyat allegedly molested him. The victim told his parents about the assault, whom reported it to police. Hayyat was arrested and booked.

On Thursday, a 10-year-old girl and a 20-year-old maid were raped. The 20-year-old victim was employed as domestic help at the house of Hasham, within Defence-B police limits, for the last three months. Afsar Shah, a driver employed at a neighbouring house, allegedly raped the victim. Police arrested the suspect and registered a case against him.

Separately, a man identified as Raheel allegedly raped a 10-year-old girl in Batapur. Reportedly, the suspect was the victim’s neighbor and it was routine for the victim and the suspect’s family to visit each other’s houses. On the day of the incident when the victim went to his house, he allegedly raped her. When the victim’s family reported the incident to police, the suspect his family members went into hiding.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, a suspect was arrested for allegedly raping a minor boy on the roof of a mosque in Nawan Kot. The suspect Faizan lured the victim to the rooftop when the prayer congregation commenced. He allegedly threatened the victim before he raped him.

On the same day, a suspect was arrested for raping and blackmailing a girl over marriage promises in Ghalib Market. The victim alleged that one of the suspects, Faisal Abbas, had entered a relationship with her, making promises of marriage. He allegedly shot videos and pictures of intimate moments with her. The suspect allegedly blackmailed the victim using the video and would coerce her for physical favours and money. Police arrested the suspect and registered a case against him.

The alarming frequency of these incidents prompted a review of the GBV (Gender-based Violence) Cell on Thursday. A meeting was chaired by Capital City Police Officer Lahore (CCPO) DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana at City Police Headquarters, attended by SP CRO Zohaib Nasrullah Ranjha, Focal Person GBV Cell Inspector Fiza, all divisional In-charges, Investigation Officers and other relevant officers.

DIG Kamyana reviewed the overall performance of the GBV Cell and reprimanded the in-charges for poor performance and delays in under-investigation cases of rape. 

He directed GBV Cell officers to improve their performance and warned that strict action would be taken if there no significant improvement was observed. Kamyana further directed the officers to complete investigating gang-rape cases immediately. The CCPO directed not to arrest the nominated accused if they were proven innocent and to discharge cases in case of no offense. He added that incidents of rape, harassment, violence and abuse against women are a disgrace to society and unaccepatble and Lahore police condemns all forms of abuse and violence against women.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2022.