Cadet College Murree student allegedly gang-raped

As police investigate 12-year-old's rape, college descends into disorder

MURREE:

A seventh-class student at Cadet College Murree was reportedly gang-raped at gunpoint in the hostel, according to a police report filed on Thursday.

The police have registered a case against four accused after the victim’s father filed a complaint over the incident.

According to the Murree police report, a copy of which is available with the Express Tribune, the 12-year-old’s father is a resident of Lahore and his son had been a resident at the college hostel.

“On October 16 when I spoke with my son over the phone, he began crying,” reported the father.

Read Justice for rape victims

Despite several attempts, the father said his son would not share what had happened and so he “brought him home”. The father also revealed that his son appeared extremely scared and fearful.

“After some time when he came to his senses he revealed in front of other witnesses that on the evening of October 10 he was sleeping in the hostel room when Hassan Afridi, Shahnawaz, Taimoor and Saud came in armed,” the father reported to the police.

According to the father, the accused Saud held a gun and woke up the son while Taimoor put his hand on the victim’s throat and choked him. The other two raped the 12-year-old in the meantime.

The accused also reportedly threatened the victim he “would be killed if he told anyone”.

The father also revealed that when the victim reported the incident to the principal, he shouted at him and silenced him while threatening him that he would be “kicked out of the college if he made any mention” of the matter to someone else.

Read More Six arrested in India over alleged rape and murder of teens

The police have begun their investigation on the matter after filing the report.

Commotion at Cadet College

Meanwhile, when the police team reached the college to inquire about the incident, the staff and students of the college started protesting and upon resistance, the SHO arrived with the police force.

The situation could still not be brought under control, however.

On receiving the information, SP Kohsar Faisal Saleem himself reached the college, while in view of the emergent emergency situation, an elite force and other personnel were also called from Rawalpindi.

According to the sources, negotiations continued between the police officers and the college administration for the extradition of the accused until late at night.

On the other hand, a medical examination of the victim is also being carried out.

The police in a statement also added that due legal action will be taken against those resisting the investigation.

Child abuse in Pakistan

At least 3,852 children – 2,068 girls and 1,784 boys -- were sexually abused across Pakistan in 2021, Sahil - an NGO working against child abuse - had revealed in a report titled ‘Cruel Number’.

According to the data shared by the organisation, at least 10 children were abused every day through 2021.

Also Read ‘In Pakistan, 12 children sexually abused per day in first half of 2022’

The categories used by the NGO included abduction (1,060 cases); rape (410 cases); sodomy (483 cases); gang rape (146 cases); and gang sodomy (234 cases). At least 22 boys and 18 girls were murdered after sexual abuse whereas at least 10 boys and three girls were murdered after gang sodomy and rape, said the report.

At least 438 children were found missing from their homes. There were 58 cases of early child marriage and seven cases of Vani. Vani is a 400-year-old tradition, this practice was initially used to settle feuds between tribes. Later, tribal elders called for jirgas in which girls were declared Vani.

The NGO's report further stated that acquaintance with the victim and the victim’s family topped the list of perpetrators of child sexual abuse. The statics showed that out of a total of 3,852 cases, there were at least 1,715 cases where the abusers had acquaintance with victims or the victim’s families.