Senate panel moves to criminalise necrophilia

A Senate panel on Wednesday unanimously approved amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), officially criminalising necrophilia. This comes after years of a legal gap on the matter.

Necrophilia refers to having sexual attraction towards or committing sexual assault on a dead body.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan, held a meeting at the Parliament House, with Senators Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, as well as officials from various departments, in attendance.

The committee unanimously approved the "Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024," introduced by Senator Zehri. The bill highlights the disturbing occurrences of necrophilia in Pakistan, noting that similar laws have already been implemented in other countries to criminalise such acts.

The amendment specifically revises Section 377 of the PPC, which pertains to "unnatural offences." This new bill now includes deceased bodies, making necrophilia punishable by life imprisonment.