Six-year-old girl allegedly raped by her cousin said to be in critical state.
As parents worry how to keep their kids safe from strangers, dangers to their children from within families also emerged on Saturday after a six-year-old girl in Orangi was reportedly raped by her cousin.
The girl, J*, was found bleeding on the rooftop of a dispensary. Although in a critical state, J told the police that her cousin and also neighbour, Ashraf, was the one who had taken her away.
The police arrested the suspect who had joined the family in searching for the girl, SHO Amjad Kiyani told The Express Tribune. The minor girl was said to be in a critical condition and was undergoing an operation at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre at the time this report was filed.
Another girl, seven-year old A*, was allegedly raped by a young man in Kotri, Jamshoro on Friday evening. The doctors at the Kotri taluka hospital also confirmed the sexual assault in their initial report.
According to the girl’s father, his daughter was returning from tuition in the evening when the accused, Waqas Arain, abducted her. “He took her to his house to disgrace her,” he said, claiming that Arain’s neighbours heard voices of a child crying. “She was brought to our home in an unconscious state.”
Dr Rukhsana Shaikh, who examined the child and issued the medical certificate, said that A’s condition suggested that she was raped. “She is being treated and we hope that she will be fine in a day or two,” she said, adding that the girl’s sample have been sent to the official chemical examiner in Karachi for conclusive findings about the rape.
The incident took place in Ghausia Colony in the limits of the Kotri police station. The police took a day to gear into action and that too when the family and civil society representatives protested. “The police was even not registering an FIR until we held the protest and pressured the SSP,” said Kashif Bajeer, National Manager of Society for Protection of Rights of Children.
The enraged family and neighbours caught the suspect’s father on Friday night and beat him up before handing him over to the police. According SHO Nazim Rao, the rape suspect Waqas Arain was arrested on Saturday afternoon.
A case nominating Waqas has been registered under sections 375 and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the A’s father.
The child rights activist pointed to the absence of child protection laws and a low degree of conviction in cases of child abuse as one of the main causes behind the rising number of such cases. “The government has yet to approve the child protection authority’s bill. In absence of the child protection unit, there is no official department except the police who can help victims,” said Bajeer.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has taken notice of the case of sexual abuse in Kotri. He directed the Hyderabad Deputy Inspector General to take strict action against the suspects of the crime.
*Names changed to protect privacy of individuals
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2013.
COMMENTS (19)
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What done NGO SPARC,only comments on newsaper....nothing other..many child abuse and murder cases report in sindh daily basis but NGO not follow cases only statement not support or protection of children
@Rabbani: Nobody can justify these inhumane acts, and I wasn’t trying to do so either. But I don’t like our faults to be pointed out by those whose houses are in worse conditions. which is worse condition ? Can you read this article again? Also, can you please start reading the UK news for a change.
Jibran
Nobody can justify these inhumane acts, and I wasn't trying to do so either. But I don't like our faults to be pointed out by those whose houses are in worse conditions.
Mullah & Madrissa culture is getting in every strand of the society. Previously such crimes were part of Madrissa culture alone.
Saron
Not to forget, India is always in the news for this reason.
If the Police will not arrest and courts will not punish the rapists severely in Pakistan, I have every reason to believe that Taliban are going to take over the overall control of Pakistan and will impose Sharia Laws.
The count down has already begin as TTP has asked the Government to change the Constitution and would like to amend certain clauses of the Constitution to replace it with the Sharia Laws.
@FS: What we need is a death by hanging for crime against humanity. It must be delivered swiftly and quickly in a day or two with no rights of appeal.
The Ulema council has ruled that four male witnesses are required to prove a rape,and that DNA evidence can't be used as primary evidence.How can there be any convictions given the impossibility of fulfilling these requirements?
Is this Islamic Republic of Pakistan ? if one suspected should be punish death sentence then other one never do it.
@Ahmed: Well said. @piddler: The mullah is a bane on our society with his illiterate and lamebrained ideas. As in both cases, what will the mullah say and do when there are no witnesses? Salams
In the 21st century we are still talking IFO and bringing back PPP, PMLN, and like-minded parties to power. They are the BIRADARI system, which is destroying ----stan. Salams
and we have the audacity to call India the rape capital. Not that I have any sympathies with India but just look at where we are before posting comments reflecting our delusions of grandeur. We are a truly barbarian, animalistic society.
This is Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Where democracy and constitution is abide. While the lives, property and honors on sale. Who those taking of Kashmir issues and abide of constitution must be asked this is your constitution and writ of the law and democracy. These are very few cases that comes to the surface. While thousand of such and worst cases are unfold and unreported.
It's horrifying to think how this nation is being perceived my international community as recently as a few month ago we were taunting India as being rapistan as opposed to Hindustan now we may be called as the nation of child molesters. The judiciary needs to decide on these cases swiftly and quickly and when convicted hand out exemplary punishments to provide strong deterrents. This should be done without any loss of time. This nation wants to see some capital punishments for child molesters.
Pakistanis were in the news in UK few weeks for a similar reason.
Its a sad state of mind that we live in. We need society-wide cleansing.