Media silence on rampant child abuse

In 2018, six-year-old Zainab was raped and murdered by her neighbour, Imran Ali, in Kasur town of Punjab. Zainab disappeared on January 4, and her body was found five days later in a rubbish dump. Many child murders had taken place in Kasur, but the Zainab case became a tipping point for national and international media. It triggered widespread outrage, including protests decrying police incompetence. The hashtag #JusticeForZainab later went viral, with a cross-section of society demanding immediate action. On January 23, Imran Ali, 24, was arrested following a DNA match. In February, Imran was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of Zainab. His appeals in the higher courts and a clemency plea with the President were rejected, and he was condemned to the gallows.

Unfortunately though, the menace persists, as cases of rape and murder, involving minor girls, escalate on a daily basis. Reports of rape surface every month while the police frequently fail to apprehend perpetrators in accordance with the law.

Another bud withered before it could bloom. The world turned a living hell for another innocent soul last month. In Bhara Kahu neighbourhood of Islamabad, 9-year-old Aden was subjected to a horrific act of violence. She was killed after being sexually assaulted. The perpetrator, identified as Hamza, not only committed the heinous act of rape but also crushed her head. The police have registered a case and launched a search for the accused.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Human Rights has taken a serious note of this brutal rape and murder. The Chairperson of the Standing Committee, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, has demanded immediate action from the law enforcement agencies against this monstrous individual. She has also called upon the media and civil society to play a vital role in efforts to nip the evil of rape and murder of innocent girls in the bud.

Again in May, 15-year-old Saira was kidnapped and gang-raped in Ratodero town of district Larkana in Sindh. According to the hospital administration, the victim was in a precarious condition. The heartbreaking incident highlights the urgent need for collective efforts to protect and safeguard our children from such horrendous crimes.

Meanwhile, Aden’s rape and murder was not the first in Bhara Kahu. Earlier, in 2013, a rapist-killer named Ibrar Ahmed had been arrested for kidnapping and raping an innocent teen. Ten-year-old Shehzadi Bibi had gone to take tuition classes, never to come back home. The little victim had reportedly gone missing from Margalla Valley and her body was found from a dry drain three days later. The culprit burnt Bibi after raping her brutally. Unfortunately, the rapist’s girlfriend had also been involved in the crime. She, along with Ibrar, gagged and strangled the girl. This couple was, according to reports, also involved in raping five girls and killing two.

With child abuse so very rampant, it is important to question the criminal media silence. Instead of focusing on the heinous abuse of children, media in general seem more interested in issues like marital rape, domestic conspiracies and extramarital relationships, possibly driven by a pursuit of popularity and viewership. There is a concerning lack of media coverage when it comes to sensitive subjects like child abuse and rape.

While the media should address child abuse cases with the same level of urgency and dedication that was seen in the Zainab case, it is unfortunate to note that political interests dominate the media landscape, diverting attention from pressing social problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2023.

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