Street children succumb to paedophilia

Left on the roads to fend for themselves, minors selling items or begging are easily targeted by sexual predators

LAHORE:

The security of a family and the safety of a home is every child’s birth right however, for street children left on the roads, chasing the sympathetic nod of a prospective philanthropist or escaping the malicious embrace of a potential pedophile, financial dependence and body integrity both remain elusive.

Despite the crackdowns carried out by the Child Protection Bureau against parents and guardians forcing minors into begging and selling items on the roads, a large number of children continue to occupy roadside spaces, putting them not only at a risk of accidents but also of sexual exploitation.

Ayesha, a 17-year-old street beggar from Multan was married off to a stranger in Lahore when she was only 13, soon after her parents passed away. “I have been living with my husband since the past four years. Even though I don’t like begging I still have to go out on the roads because I cannot afford a conflict at home. Some people offer me money while others throw something to eat, but the majority simply hurls expletives.”

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Accustomed to mistreatment on the roads, Ayesha recalled her tragic encounters with pedophiles with preposterous ease. “I have some friends who call me to sit with them. They talk to me, feed me and caress my body,” innocently shared Ayesha, whose naivety shielded her from processing the gut-wrenching reality that she was a victim of sexual exploitation.

Similarly, Abdul Rehman, a 9-year-old boy from the Begumkot area, caught selling biscuits, was regularly molested by older boys and men. “I come from a very poor family which cannot afford to feed me even two meals a day. Whenever I go out to sell biscuits at Bati Chowk, some boys touch me inappropriately,” revealed Abdul Rehman.

Even though both Ayesha and Abdul Rehman have been rescued by the CPB and are under its protection, countless other children on the roads remain exposed to the evil gaze and bestial touch of pedophiles.

According to statistics shared by a local non-governmental organization (NGO), 2,227 children were physically and sexually assaulted in Pakistan from January to June 2023, and 31 per cent of these incidents took place on the streets where the children who begged and sold food items or toys were tortured and molested.

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“There are many children out on the roads who are being sexually and physically abused on a daily basis. But unfortunately, they have become immune to such behavior and cannot register it as something problematic,” said an official from the CPB.

Children’s rights activists like Rashida Qureshi opined that street children are not provided with a safe environment to grow in the first place hence their cognitive development is compromised. “Many children are working for long hours on the roads, where they face unimaginable disrespect and abuse. Over time such mistreatment develops into an inferiority complex which deeply damages their self-esteem,” asserted Qureshi, who felt that addressing the plight of street children was crucial in order to prevent them from engaging in drugs and other crimes which could present a bigger challenge for the society.

Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, Sarah Ahmed, Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, said,” The right to dignified existence is every child’s fundamental right, which must be protected. Street children begging or selling items on the roads are frequently targeted by pedophiles. While our aim is to put an end to child beggary, even if a child begs, they should be taught the ability to differentiate good touch from bad touch.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2023.