Child abuse crisis deepens in 2025

Over 5,000 cases of violence against children were reported in just the first six months of 2025 in Pakistan, with critically low conviction rates across all regions, new data compiled by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) showed.

The SSDO's National Violence Against Children (VAC) Factsheet for the period January to June 2025 presented alarming evidence of widespread violations of children's rights across the country.

According to the factsheet, a total of 5,097 cases of violence against children were documented from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Despite the high number of reported incidents, conviction rates across all regions remain critically low, highlighting deep systemic gaps in child protection, policing and the justice delivery system.

The organisation noted that Punjab has shown some progress. According to the organisation, the province has demonstrated improvements in reporting mechanisms due to enhanced coordination between the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau, strengthened police reporting systems and increased community awareness regarding child protection. It noted that the improvement reflected Punjab's commitment to addressing child protection challenges. However, the group warned that reporting from other provinces remained significantly low, raising concerns over weak documentation mechanisms, limited institutional capacities and lack of community-level engagement.