A school in Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan


* February 11, 1978: It was a horrific day for the parents and other family members of Taranum Aziz - an eight-year old female child. The parents and other family members did not find their daughter as she was kidnapped from Gulberg (a locality of Karachi) by some miscreants including the driver of her father.
They found her body behind Yusuf Plaza, F.B Area, a day after her kidnapping. The doctors told the parents that the girl child was strangulated after being sexually abused sand tortured. The murder of Taranum Aziz rocked the city-as each and every person was feeling grief and over the brutal assassination of an innocent child. On February 13, 1978, a strike was observed in the city against murder. It was the first incidence of its kind in Karachi - a metropolis of Pakistan and it was occurred at the time when it was only a distant notion that innocent children could also be sexually abused.
* February 5, 2000: In a village near Sajjawal, Sindh, a group of unknown persons kidnapped a 12-year-girl from her house and gang raped her all night. When she fell unconscious, they amputated her arms, buried her alive and escaped.

Lack of reaction
Karachiites were shocked when they heard of the murder of Taranum Aziz. They were mourning just like the parents and other family members. But today - after 22 years when this macho crime is rampant in the country, people read or hear the news of male or female child who was killed after being sexually abused somewhere.
They are woeful for a moment but eventually become engaged in their daily routine. In the past 22 years, have people become either insensible or senseless? Why do they not think of what is actually going on around them? The murder of a 12 year-old girl was not a single case. It is one of the many cases depicting human nature’s potential for extreme brutality and it is an indication of the increasing crime of child sexual abuse in society.
Child abuse is a major problem but an unexplored subject in Pakistan. People hesitate in discussing this issue due to taboos of the society. They do not want to talk about this shameful act even if they come to know that their child is a victim of sexual abuse. They want to hide it. They prefer to be silent over the safety of their child so that they can protect the honour of their family. This attitude stems from a number of factors ranging from the concept of (izzat) honour to the difficult and cumbersome of seeking retribution.

Across the country
It is a harsh fact that child sexual abuse is prevalent in Pakistan across class, language, communities, and gender boundaries. Children are sexually abused and exploited at work places, in markets, workshops, hotels, bus stops, stations, video shops, snooker clubs, schools, various madrassas (Religious schools), homes and other community places.
Unfortunately there is no accurate data is available about child sexual abuse because it is an issue which everyone either prefers to deny or hide. However, statistics from a few small-scale studies by some NGOs (Non governmental organizations) provide critical evidence of its existence in society. There is no universal definition about child sexual abuse. But when an older person uses his/her authority with a sexual intent, to indulge in any sort of sexual activity with a child, it is termed child sexual abuse.
During Jan-June 2000,the print media (11 Urdu and English national dailies and 4 Sindhi dailies) reported that 933 men along with 24 female abettors had sexually assaulted 475 children in Pakistan. The study clearly shows the significant increase in the crime, as well as an increase in the ratio of abusers to children. Out of the total 475 reported cases, 324(69%) were female children and 151 (31%) were male children.

Tip of the iceberg
These 475 cases are just the tip of the iceberg. It will not be surprising that Out of these 933 abusers, 739 (77%)were acquaintances.
18 female children and 15 smale children were murdered after being sexually assaulted.77 female children were gangraped and 57 male children were gang sodomized.
Sahil’s data shows 6 reported cases of incest during Jan-June 2000.
During this period, the abusers have targeted the male children between the age 10-15 years. Out of a total of 151 reported male child victims cases 93 male children were reported from the age group of 10-15 years (61%. Abusers have mostly targeted female children between the ages of 10-15 years and 16-18 years as 38% victims fall in the category and 47% of the victims fall in the age group of 16-18 years.
As per a report of Sahil, out of 475 reported cases, 55 per cent of the cases were reported from urban areas and 45 per cent of the cases were reported from rural areas. Out of 475 cases that the media reported for child victims, 100 cases (21 %) were reported from Sindh and 339 cases were (71%) reported from Punjab. (Sindh and Punjab are the provinces of Pakistan).
Out of 475 child victims, 109 female children were identified by their names,8 children were identified by their name and photographs, while of the total 151 male victims 70 were identified and 3 male children were identified by their names and photographs whereas the rest of the 285 children were not identified.

90 percent not reported
In most of the reported cases the victim was abused once. 265 females and 117 males children were abused in single attempt. During the period of Jan-June 2000, 256 cases of females children and 115 cases of male children were reported at various police stations while the status of 43 cases were not reported.
The figures too, unfortunately give a limited insight into the horror of child sexual abuse in Pakistani society. Because 90 per cent of child sexual abuses cases are not reported. As per a survey of local college conducted by Aa’angan - an NGO, a couple of years ago, 120 girls were questioned, between the ages of 16-18 years. 80 per cent of them answered questions on child sexual abuse while 26 per cent of those disturbing sexual experiences with friends or relatives were related and 57 per cent knew people who had been sexually abused in childhood.

False notion
It is a false notion that abusers may be mentally sick, frustrated and illiterate people. According to a recent study by Aa’angan in which 100 cases were documented, most abusers were brothers and uncles followed by servants. As a child grow up, he is socially bound with many relations like relatives, parents’ friends, teachers, religious teachers etc. These relations play major role in helping to understand his world and have important positions in homes. But sometimes they take advantage of their positions and make the life of a child miserable.
(SIGMA) A girl - Mubina was sexually abused by her real brother for many years and then he tied her nuptial knot with an abnormal person. After her marriage he continued his heinous crime. At last she succeeded in getting help from WAR (War against rape - an NGO).
(SIGMA) Farida, 15, gave birth to a baby at a local hospital in NWFP. Her real father used to rape her by force and threats. As a result she became pregnant. She disclosed her ordeal to her grandfather, who registered a case against his son in police station. “How will I face people? What will I tell them about the identity of this child.... My child’s father is also my father.” She asks everyone.
(SIGMA) Azra Bibi, 12, living in an insecure and dolorous life due to her real father - who can believe that a person who provides security and safety to their children from their birth, cam make her insecure for so many years. Where is the reverence of real blood relationship as found in an Islamic society.

Even in holy places
The sexual exploitation of children is a gross violation of their basic rights to survival, development, protection and participation. The abusers use not only home but sacred places like holy shrines for their nefarious designs.
(SIGMA) On May 9, 1997, a nine-year-old female child who was kidnapped four years ago from Rawalpindi, was recovered from illegal custody of malang (Those people who live in the Holy Shrines for care) during the Bari Imam Urs (Annual festival). A malang married her to satisfy his sexual desires and also made her dance in shrines for money. Parents of the girl child found her dancing during the Urs of Baari Imam. Police arrested the malang.
Child abuse may occur in every sphere of society, any time.
Police stations and prisons are also such places where often this macho crime is committed. According to an organization Child Rights on Abuse Committee, Pakistan Pediatric Association of Peshawer, there is a high prevalence of male child sexual abuse including commercial sexual exploitation of children in NWFP (North West Frontier Province - a province of Pakistan and Peshawar is the capital of NWFP).

Survey in jails
A survey conducted by Dr Samina Alam who has also been established through informal NGO visits to jails all over the country.
Children were found sexually abused not only by older inmates but also by the administrative staff. Children in most jails are not segregated according to their age, categories, which increase their vulnerability to abuse.
There is a dire need for counseling for the victims of circumstances but it is not easy for them to forget the horrible experience of their life. “I didn’t have to work hard to recall the bitterness of my past. As a matter of fact, I didn’t forget all that has happened to me and I can never forget it, even if try...”
(A survivor, 17 years old male).
“When I spoke to you the first time, I took a trip to hell....You revived the most simplest beliefs that had vanished, belief that had shattered - don’t know how, but know how!... That day I learned to ‘believe in people’ again,.... that there is hope, chance even forgiveness for those who seek it...”
- (A survivor, 26 years old female)

Distrust with police
Why people prefer silence? A survey was conducted by the Democrats Commission for Human Development, Lahore in a couple of years ago, covering 58 rural communities of Pakistan and 35.5 per cent stated that the local police often refuse to the file cases or alternatively, tempers with the complainant statement while registering FIR (First Information Report).
General distrust with their people combined with their reputation of being corrupt, result in very few cases being registered. Some people said that is a very long procedure for justice. It is only through community and family participation that child sexual abuse will be prevented and children will be protected from harm.
(SIGMA) Kashif Hasan, a two-year-old, was sexually assaulted by the landlord, 18, in the last month in Karachi. The parents of the victim lodged an FIR against the abuser. During interrogation it came to be known that he had abused three children other than him in the same lane but their parents remained silent and giving him a way to repeat this crime for the fourth consecutive time.
But the parents of the youngest victim sought help of WAR and police so that they could save more children from abuse. Sajida Agha, a psychologist of WAR underlined, “Break the silence is the only way to protect children from abuse.”

Culture bred on violence
We are living in a culture bred on violence where much abusive behavior becomes normative. Children are not to be subjected to sexual abuse in jails but they face physical abuse. The police beats the child prisoners, hang them. Sometimes they face cheera-an inhuman castigation.
The physical abuse entails any aggression that is directed towards a child’s body e.g. children are often beaten in schools, homes, workshops and many other plaaces sometimes to point of extreme damage. Specific examples include slapping, twisting, breaking arms, burning, uses of a closed fist, or instrument, kicking and throwing. In schools the corporal punishment is responsible for a high drop out rate both at primary and secondary levels.
(SIGMA) Gul Khan, a teacher of a middle school of Jogiwara, Peshawer gave severe beating to a child. The child was taken home with bleeding wounds.
(SIGMA) To punish the students, the teacher got their heads shaved. This humiliating incident took place at Government High School No 2, Hangu in November 1997.
‘Beating devil out of them’ is still a common perception in our society. Parents think that punishment is necessary to maintain discipline. The type of abuse is the first form of child maltreatment to be widely recognized by medical profession. In many years of NWFP, children are kidnapped for ransom or pressurize opponents in cases of feuds.
Most of the people keep their guns loaded in their houses, at easily accessible places and sometimes their children become victims of their guns.
As per a rough estimates about 8-10 (8-10,00,000) lakh children are working in different factories and cottage industries in worst conditions.

Drugged beggar children
According to another report of UNICEF, 47 lakh children below of five years die due to diarrohea, bronchitis every year in South Asia. A story about abuse of children by professional beggars was published in a daily. These beggars put their minors on opium, and other narcotic drugs so that they appear sick. These children who appear to be in deep slumber are a common sight on most pavements of Peshawer and other towns of the city.
Not only physical abuse, children face emotional abuse e g berate a child by derogatory names or by their weaknesses, give more attention and care to a boy than a girl, demean a child in front of guests. Even parents’ lack of trust in their children bears negative emotional consequences.
Neglect is a factor that occurs in all socio-economic groups, low-income groups, low income appears to increase its prevalence. Parents’ personality is another factor. Child abuse usually occurs when parents couldn’t cope with the demands of parenthoods and the society and state fail to guarantee the rights of children. It originates from social injustices and policies that deprive children of the circumstances and conditions needed for their optimal development. As consequences of these policies, children live in poverty and inadequately clothed, housed, educated and malnourished.

High time to react
Every child despite his individual differences and uniqueness is to be considered of equal socio, economic, civil and political rights, so that he may fully realize his inherited potential and share equality in life, liberty and happiness.
How can child abuse wiped out from the society? It is a centuries old tradition that child should be obedient, silent, subservient and to accept abuse as their fate. It is high time for them to speak out, speak up and act on the premise of their rights.
There is need to make them aware and also educate people about their child rights, illegality and devastating impacts of the sexual exploitation of children. The basic problem is that people do not want to acknowledge that they are living in a sordid society.
It is high time for parents and especially mothers to think for how long they will and keep their next generation in a filthy society. If they start realizing this grave problem only then a concrete solution is possible to eradicate this curse from society.

(The names of victims and places have been changed so as to conceal their identity)

Rana Rizvi
Karachi