ISLAMABAD: A recent report by Sahil reveals that 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported across Pakistan in the first six months of 2024. The data, part of Sahil’s “Six Months Cruel Numbers,” highlights various forms of abuse affecting children in the country.
From January to June 2024, the report recorded 862 cases of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 cases of missing children, and 18 cases of child marriages. Additionally, 48 cases of pornography following sexual abuse were also documented.
The data shows that 59% of the victims were girls (962 cases), while 41% were boys (668 cases).
Sahil, an organization focused on child protection since 1996, aims to create a safe environment free from violence, particularly child sexual abuse. The organization also provides legal, emotional, and psychological support to the victims.
For this report, Sahil monitored 81 national and regional newspapers from January to June 2024. The data was collected from all provinces, including the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
Children aged 6-15 years were found to be the most vulnerable, with 693 cases reported. There were 94 cases involving children aged 0-5 years, and 231 cases involving children aged 16-18 years. In 612 cases, the age of the victims was not specified.
The report also highlights that 47% of the abusers were acquaintances of the victims, 18% were strangers, and 9% involved both acquaintances and strangers.
Geographically, 78% of the cases were reported from Punjab, 11% from Sindh, 6% from ICT, 3% from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 2% from Balochistan, AJK, and GB combined. Additionally, 44% of the cases occurred in urban areas, while 56% were in rural areas.
Sahil also monitored cases of violence against women during the same period, recording 1,732 incidents, including murder, suicide, abduction, rape, honor killings, and torture.