A new report from Sahil, an organisation dedicated to protecting children’s rights, has revealed alarming figures on child abuse in Pakistan. In the first six months of 2024, a total of 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported nationwide, shedding light on the widespread issue.
The data, covering January to June 2024, details 862 cases of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 instances of missing children, 18 cases of child marriages, and 48 incidents of pornography linked to sexual abuse.
The report highlights that girls were disproportionately affected, accounting for 59% (962) of the victims, while boys made up 41% (668).
Sahil’s report is based on the monitoring of 81 national and regional newspapers, with data collected from across Pakistan, including the four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
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Furthermore, the findings indicate that the most vulnerable age group remains children aged 6-15, with 693 cases reported in this category. Additionally, 94 cases involved children aged 0-5, 231 involved those aged 16-18, and in 612 cases, the victims’ ages were not specified.
The report also reveals that 47% of the abusers were acquaintances of the victims, 18% were strangers, and in 9% of cases, both acquaintances and strangers were involved.
Geographically, Punjab accounted for the majority of the reported cases (78%), followed by Islamabad Capital Territory (6%), Sindh (11%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (3%), and Balochistan, AJK, and GB collectively accounted for 2%. Additionally, 56% of cases occurred in rural areas, while 44% were in urban regions.
Sahil’s report also noted a worrying number of cases involving violence against women during the same period. A total of 1,732 incidents were reported, including murder, suicide, abduction, rape, honor killings, and torture.
Sahil has been working on child protection with a special focus on child sexual abuse since 1996. The organisation aims to create a protective environment free from all forms of violence for children, offering legal, emotional, and psychological support to victims.
