Chocolate costs child maid her life

Allegedly tortured by employer, 12-year-old girl succumbs to her injuries

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RAWALPINDI:

A 12-year-old domestic worker, allegedly subjected to severe torture by her employer, succumbed to her injuries in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

Initial police investigations have revealed that the child suffered a deep head injury, with her skull fractured, which ultimately led to her death. The accused, identified as Rashid Qureshi and his wife, who have eight children, allegedly tortured the young girl, Iqra, after their daughter accused her of stealing chocolate.

Police sources said Rashid's wife allegedly assaulted Iqra and struck her on the head with a rolling pin used for making bread.

Further investigations uncovered that the girl had been tied up and deprived of food and water.

The woman who took her to the hospital was later found to be a planted accomplice of the accused couple, the police claimed.

During interrogation, it was also discovered that the initial claim that the child's father was deceased and her mother was in 'iddah' (a mourning period) was false.

Police have now contacted the girl's father, who is on his way to Rawalpindi.

"A case has been registered against Rashid Qureshi, his wife, and others involved in concealing the crime. The charges include murder, torture, and evidence tampering," the police said.

Earlier, it was revealed that a 12-year-old domestic worker in the Asghar Mall area within the jurisdiction of Rawalpindi's Banni police station was alleged to have been severely abused by her employers.

A woman, who taught the holy Quran to children in homes, discovered the abuse.

The child was found to have signs of severe abuse and injuries.

Upon receiving the report, Rawalpindi's Chief Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani took notice, and police arrested the house owner along with his wife and the woman who brought the child to the hospital.

An investigation was launched, and a team from the Child Protection Bureau in Rawalpindi also visited the hospital.

According to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) estimates, there are at least 8.5 million domestic workers in Pakistan, the vast majority of whom are women and young girls.

CPO Hamdani emphasised that child abuse was absolutely intolerable.

He assured that the perpetrators would face severe punishment. Once the medical examination is completed, a case will be filed against those involved in the abuse of the innocent child.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Child Protection Bureau, Sarah Ahmad, also took notice of the incident.

A team from the Child Protection Bureau, led by District Officer Rao Khalil Ahmed, visited the hospital to gather information about the case. Sarah expressed her deep concern, calling the abuse of the 12-year-old girl a tragic incident.

Sarah stated that the employers had subjected the child to abuse for almost 12 days, and there were visible signs of violence on her body. She assured that the Child Protection Bureau would take the child into protective custody and provide all possible support.

In 2022, the ILO released a study, which mentioned that in Pakistan, one in every four households employs a child in domestic work, predominantly girls, aged 10 to 14 years.

As per Unicef, about 3.3 million Pakistani children are trapped in child labour, depriving them of their childhood, health and education, and condemning them to a life of poverty and want.